Safe Harbor
by TheKnittingLady
Summary: Spencer Reid is looking for something. So is a friend of Alex Blake's. Once she introduces them they might be able to find it together.
1. Chapter 1

_**Part 1**_

 _A gentle heart is tied with an easy thread._

 _\- George Herbert_

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **Chapter 01**

 **Manhattan Beach, NY**

His name was Bohdan Goraya. That he was involved in organized crime was undeniable.

Over time the Organized Crime Unit had learned that he headed up a fairly large criminal organization in the nearby Brighton Beach area. Drugs, prostitution, bookmaking, and racketeering were the basics of any criminal organization, but Bohdan got creative. He discovered smuggling, and then human trafficking. When he discovered the profit involved in arms dealing he went to the top of the list of people to take down.

The problem was getting hard evidence. "You'd better be right about this." SSA Adam Marcus said.

SSA Mark Donovan turned to look at him. "His sources haven't been wrong yet."

They walked past the phalanx of cars and officers busily arresting Bohdan and all of his people. "Where does he get his sources anyway?"

"That is on a need to know basis, and you do not need to know. I do not need to know. Only the Director knows." Donovan strode through the hallways of Goraya's impressive home, and down to the wine cellar. Once there he opened the case that contained the fine crystal used for tastings, and triggered a small latch hidden within. A panel on the wall popped. He opened it and revealed what looked like the door of a safe. "Just where it's supposed to be."

"Let's hope the combination is right." Marcus replied. "You don't need to know? You're his Unit Chief."

"When it comes to his sources it's between him and the Director. Period. Otherwise he's a team player." The combination wanted an eight digit password and a fingerprint scan. Donovan consulted the note he had and entered the combination. Then he opened a small, plastic case and pulled out a polymer casting of a fingerprint. Putting it over his finger he let it warm a moment and then placed it against the glass. The safe beeped and opened.

"Son of a bitch." Marcus said.

Donovan grabbed the handle of the safe and pulled, but it didn't open. He fiddled a bit and found that it would slide. In fact the whole wall panel would slide, revealing the walk in safe room beyond it. A room just laden with evidence. "Pay dirt." He said with a smile.

"How?"

"Like I said, we don't need to know."

* * *

A few blocks away a young woman in a pink hoodie was walking down a well-manicured street. Her hood was up, her head down. She brought nothing with her, even her pockets were empty.

She was terrified.

This was her _only_ chance.

She tensed as an SUV pulled up beside her, one rigged to spend more time off road than on. It slowly drove along side her as the window rolled down.

"Yulia Goraya?" The driver asked.

Yulia swallowed. This might be the last time she heard that name. She turned to look at the driver, ready to bolt if she had to, and saw the tattoo of a lotus on his wrist. She smiled and felt the tension she had held start to melt away into tears that fell down her cheeks. "Hey."

The car stopped fully. "Get in." He said. She scrambled into the passenger seat, her relief palpable, her smiled turning into a grin. "Welcome to your new life."

* * *

.

* * *

Yep, new story. Set during season Season 8, right around episodes 5 & 6 to begin with, but then goes off the rails and off cannon.

Fair warning, Reid gets a boyfriend in this one. It doesn't get graphic but if you don't like the idea turn back now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 02**

 **National Zoo  
Washington DC**

 **October 31, 2012**

"What are you supposed to be?" Morgan asked.

Spencer smiled at him. He was in what he usually wore to work, Converse, cords, a sweater vest over an Oxford shirt, tie, blazer, and leather satchel. He even had his badge on his belt. His weapon was in his bag though. "An FBI agent." He said. "You're a baseball player?"

"Yep." Morgan nodded. It looked like he had pulled his old college uniform out, right down to the ball. "My cheerleader wanted to come tonight."

"She likes animals?"

"Yeah, and she said this place becomes quite the party once it goes over 21. You couldn't come up with a better costume?"

"My partner insisted I come like this." Spencer turned and saw said partner coming back from the bathroom, holding the hand of a Marti Gras reveler. "There he is."

"Oh you have got to be kidding." Morgan took one look and started grinning.

"He wanted to go as his favorite profiler." JJ explained as she and Henry joined them.

"We're partners!" Henry exclaimed as he took Spencer's hand.

"I see that. You need to catch a lot of bad guys." Morgan said. "And I expect the paperwork on my desk in the morning."

"Okay." Henry nodded.

Another reveler joined them. "Anyone know when the beer comes out?" Will asked.

"After they kick the kids out." Morgan replied. "This party goes over 21 at 10."

"Which is way too late for someone to be up." JJ said with a sigh.

"I'll take him home." Spencer said. "You two stay. Have some time off."

"Are you sure?"

Just then a couple of witches in very low cut corsets came up to them. "Oh my god, is that your son?" One asked Spencer.

"Uhhh, my godson, actually."

"Oh my god, you two are so cute! Gonna keep us safe tonight?" She asked Henry, who nodded even as he clung to his godfather's hand. "Awww!"

After the witches moved on Will looked at Spencer. "Sure you don't want to stick around and, um, catch an Unsub for the night?"

"Will!" JJ elbowed him.

"He has a point." Morgan said.

"No, I'll get Henry home. You two stay and have some adult fun for a change. I think there are some candy stations we haven't hit yet." He said to Henry. "Want to go check them out?"

"Yeah!" Henry nodded.

"Come on." They went off to hunt candy together.

The three adults looked after him. "I cannot believe I am saying this." Will said. "We need to find him a girl."

"We can always have Garcia find Lila's number." JJ said.

"Lila?"

"Lila Archer."

"The actress? _That_ actress?" You could tell that Will was picturing a set of well-known curves in his mind.

"Uh huh." Morgan said. " _That_ actress pulled that boy into a swimming pool and tried to climb him like a tree. He could have had anything he wanted."

"And he walked away?" Will asked.

"He said she was a victim, he was the agent on the case, it was unethical."

"And he walked away?" Will asked again. "Is he human?"

"We wonder sometimes." JJ said. "But I am not going to turn down the offer of a haunted Halloween with you."

"I'm not either, but I still say we need to find him a girl."

"I can't disagree with that." Morgan said.

"The question is, what is he looking for?" JJ asked.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 03**

 **Outside Minneapolis**

His name was Gino Capra. He ran the illegal underbelly of the city for the Genovese family

"Is this even legal?" The first agent asked.

"Technically, yeah." The second agent said. "Trash is fair game once it hits the curb. It's considered abandoned property."

As they watched from a distance, one of a number of vehicles, someone from inside the house went through a ritual practiced in just about every home in America at one time or another. They rolled the trash cans to the curb.

The agents waited.

Inside the home they could see the flicker of the TV through the living room windows.

Eventually the lights went out.

The agents waited.

They went on in the upstairs bedrooms.

The agents waited.

Eventually they went out as well.

Everything was still.

In the dark of the night, when everything was very quiet, they drove their van up in front of the house, leaned out, and pulled the can inside.

It reeked, of course, as any batch of weekly trash would. "He'd better be right about this."  
The first agent said.

"His sources are never wrong." The other reminded him.

They drove to a nearby police station and pulled the can out. There, with multiple witnesses, they lifted the first few bags and hit paydirt. "Fuck me." The first agent said.

It was a laptop.

They pulled it out and opened it up. As promised it did not ask for any kind of a password. "Okay Larry, here you go." The FBI agent said over the video link.

Larry, the OCU tech, logged in to the laptop. "Oh, come to Daddy." He said as he watched data transfer over. "We've got everything. I have never seen so much data."

"Let's start going through it." The agent in charge said.

Three days later they moved in and arrested the top three tiers of the Capra syndicate.

* * *

On the day they did a young man sat in Kenwood Park, watching children in the playground. He was scared to death. Eventually they would find him and they would know and...

Another man sat down next to him. He showed him the tattoo of a lotus on the inside of his wrist. "Tony Capra?"

Tony felt the stress leave his spine, and resisted the urge to lean against the man next to him. "Yeah."

"Ready?"

"More than you know."

The man stood. "Let's go get your life started."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 04**

 **Eastern US airspace**

"Spencer."

They were flying home. Morgan was asleep with his headphones on and his music playing. JJ was asleep with her headphones on and some superhero movie playing on her tablet. Hotch and Rossi were doing paperwork in the back end of the plane. And Blake was calling to him from the galley. He got up and went to join her. "Yeah Alex?" She'd had the kettle on; it was still hot enough for tea.

"I have a question for you. When we were working on the profile you jumped right to the idea that the older Unsub was having sex with the younger."

"Well, ephebophilia would be a logical basis for that kind of relationship..."

She interrupted him before he could go off on a tangent. "I'm not thinking about the case. Um, I know what I am asking is deeply personal and you are completely justified in telling me to mind my own business but do I need to have some sleepless nights here?"

"Why would you have some sleepless nights?" Wait a minute...

"Because you were out on your own in an adult environment when you were thirteen and in the years I have known you I have never once even heard a whisper of any sort of romantic interest."

Spencer chuckled. "To quote Garcia, I hate profilers." He peeked back through the curtains.

"JJ and Morgan are asleep. Dave and Hotch are too far away to hear. This is just between us."

Spencer took a deep breath. It wasn't like it was a huge secret. At least it shouldn't be a huge secret. It shouldn't be a _thing_ at all. But it was and he knew why and he couldn't exactly share the reasons why with Alex, unfortunately. "All right, yes, I had a boyfriend back at CalTech. Two of them, actually. But I was over eighteen at the time, everything was entirely consensual."

Alex let out a deep breath. "Oh. Which explains a lot."

"Before you ask, yes I have tried with women, I like them too. How someone looks never mattered to me, it's about the person. But I think it's easier to understand other men."

"I wasn't going to ask."

"I have gone out with a couple of women, more or less, I joined the BAU, so it might come up." Lila had been the closest, this was true, but there was too much bureaucracy in the way to make that an honest attempt. And then there was Austen, the bartender. That attempt had ended catastrophically, as far as these things went. "No one really knows..."

"You never say anything."

"And I think they think I'm more or less asexual. It seems to comfort them."

"Which is silly."

"I know."

"I don't think anyone would say anything. I mean there is DADT, or was until recently, but I know Hotch wouldn't go there."

"I agree." Tea was ready. "But, to be honest I'm concerned about Morgan."

"Why? He's never shown any tendency toward homophobia."

"No, but he does seem me as a little brother and one of my partners back then was notably older. The other was related to someone he knows well."

Alex got it quickly. "And that might make it an issue. I can see that. Does anyone on the team know?"

"Gideon knew, but I don't think he ever told Hotch. He was there for my last relationship breaking up."

"How serious was that?"

"Two years. We couldn't legally marry so it wasn't a divorce, but..."

"Oh." Alex groaned. "Is that why there hasn't been anyone serious since? Assuming there hasn't been anyone since."

"There hasn't. I've...I've never been into the club scene. Outside of the academic environment it's turning out to be very hard to meet people. At least not...appropriate people. I tend to attract the wrong kind in...places like that."

"The wrong kind of people?" She looked him over. "Well, there can be a lot of crossover between the LGBT and BDSM communities. Slender, innocent, you don't look a day over eighteen; you attract all the Daddy Dominants, don't you?"

Spencer groaned and slumped and nodded. Alex knew a lot more than she ever let on. "Yeah." He leaned against the counter and swirled his tea, releasing the delicate spiced scent. "I want a partner, not a playmate, but the work and my academic pursuits and even looking after Mom..."

Alex chuckled. "Yeah, you're not at all submissive."

"No. Well, not that much. Ideally I'd find someone from work or even another agency but DADT has been in the way of that."

"I'm sure. Shoot." She was thinking, which might or might not be a good thing. "And even though a whole new field has opened I still can't think of anyone to play matchmaker with." Spencer winced and chuckled. "Oh, you know I have to try now. You deserve someone special. Regardless, you have my full support. And I will not out you, I promise."

Alex really was an amazing friend. He leaned in and placed a peck on her cheek. "Thank you. Sleep tonight?"

She smiled and patted his shoulder. "Like a baby."

* * *

.

* * *

This chapter is set in 08x06 "The Apprenticeship"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 05**

 **Somewhere in Los Angeles**

His name was Zhang Hui. He was from Hong Kong. When he moved to LA he brought the triad's business with him.

He thought he and his people were untouchable.

The FBI swooped down and captured all of them. It was a full sweep, everyone they could get their hands on, from Zhang himself to the lowliest runner. They pulled them all in and began sorting them out one by one.

"You have nothing to hold me on!" Zhang insisted.

"Oh our people have been down at the docks for hours." The Agent-in-charge replied. "They've already assembled more than enough evidence to put you away for a very long time. And don't think your shell companies will help, I do believe this is your org chart." He held up a chart showing exactly how all of the shell companies and money laundering schemes interacted.

Zhang snarled as he realized he was in more trouble than he thought.

They brought in everyone, even the women attached to the gang. Most of them were long legged, fragile beauties, so well tended they appeared lacquered. They were marched through the station in their stilettos and designer dresses, lips thick with color, cursing at the officers as they struggled against the cuffs.

But one young woman was different. She was built much like the others, but there the resemblance ended. She wore no make-up, was wearing unfashionable jeans and cheap sneakers, and she didn't say a word. Her hair hung over her face as she meekly accepted her fate.

Surely she screwed up. She was going to jail. Or worse. So much worse.

She was _terrified_.

Until they led her into a very quiet interrogation room and removed her cuffs. "Ming Zhang?" The man sitting there asked, deliberately Anglicizing her name.

Ming looked up slowly, pulling her hair back when she saw the lotus on his wrist. "You did it!" She said.

He nodded. "You will be lost in the confusion, and he will be so occupied that he won't think to look for you for a while. By the time he does you'll be on your way to your new life." He stood and held out a hand. "Ready?"

Ming stepped forward and took the hand of one of the few people who ever understood. "More than ready. Let's go."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 06**

 **Capitol Plaza Apartment  
Unit #23  
Washington DC**

Spencer Reid opened his eyes and groaned at the ceiling.

Yesterday he had actually played in the FBI-Secret Service softball game, and he had won. Well, they had won, but he hit the winning home run. It still amazed and baffled him that he hit the winning home run. He had never done anything like that. He never even _imagined_ anything like that.

After the game they'd gone to Moe's Tavern to celebrate. There had been a lot of people there, mostly other agents and their families and there was mediocre pizza and cheap beer and they just started carrying this amazing cider. It tasted like fresh green apples laced with cinnamon, sweet and tart and totally covering an impressive kick. Alcohol wasn't an addiction trigger for him, thank goodness, but given that he remembered little of last night he knew he'd had at least one too many.

And now his head hurt.

Well there was no reason to get up, they were off today. He rolled and pulled the blanket up to his chin.

Blanket?

He opened his eyes and looked down.

He slept on his couch because he'd always slept on this couch. Back when he was looking after his mother he'd slept on it in her room so he could be close enough to catch her if her delusions got particularly bad at night. Although he'd spent a few years on a too-short college bed he'd dragged this couch back to his grad student studio after his mom went into Bennington, and then to here. It was seven foot long, longer than any bed he had found so far, so he could stretch out, and it had worn into his body perfectly. But he had a bad habit of just lying on the thing, on the Navajo-style blanket and pulling the old quilt over him. He never really made it up into a bed, he just passed out when he couldn't stay awake any longer.

Now someone had made it into a real bed. They must have gone into the closet and found the rarely used pile of linens, put an actual sheet under him and over him and put an actual bed pillow in among the throw pillows that lingered there. Someone had brought him home and tucked him in. They hadn't done more than got his shoes off, he was still in his clothes, but they'd made him a bed.

And there was more. He smelled a distinctive scent coming from the kitchen and heard sputtering wet noises. He got up and shuffled off that way only to find that whoever brought him home also made the coffee pot, including setting the timer at a likely time.

Huh.

Okay, now where was his...wait. Where was his gun?

He checked his bag, nearly panicked, and then checked the safe on the end table. Sure enough, both his primary and back up were there, safely put away. And his phone was sitting on the end table right where he had found his glasses. Someone had been very careful.

So who brought him home last night?

One way to find out. He went and got out of his very rumpled clothes, showered quickly to wake up, got into comfy pajamas, and poured coffee. Then he settled in his now comfortable bed and picked up his phone.

* * *

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Reid, S_

 _Good morning. Do you know who took me home last night?_

 _..._

 _To: Junior G. Man  
From: The Goddess _

_Good morning. Not a clue. It wasn't me_

 _..._

 _To: Morgan, D  
From: Reid, S_

 _Good morning. Do you know who took me home last night?_

 _..._

 _To: Pretty Boy  
From: Morgan_

 _Good morning slugger. Nope. I went home with company before you left_

 _..._

 _To: Jareau, J  
From: Reid, S_

 _Good morning. Do you know who took me home last night?_

 _..._

 _To: Spence  
From: JJ_

 _Good morning. Nope. Hotch and I took the boys home before it got too rowdy_

 _..._

 _To: Blake, A  
From: Reid, S_

 _Good morning. Do you know who took me home last night?_

 _..._

 _To: Spencer  
From: Alex_

 _Nope. But you were spending a lot of time with Jem last night. Maybe he got you home._

* * *

Jem? Who was Jem? Did he remember a Jem?

* * *

 _To: Blake, A  
From: Reid, S_

 _OK, I admit to drinking too much. I don't remember a Jem._

 _..._

 _To: Spencer  
From: Alex_

 _James Taimana from Organized Crime Special Ops? You two were having quite the conversation as I recall. Want his number?_

* * *

Did he? He didn't even remember...

Wait a minute...

* * *

 _To: Blake, A  
From: Reid, S_

 _How did he even know we were there?_

 _..._

 _To: Spencer  
From: Alex_

 _I might have suggested he come watch the game, see if he was interested in the team._

 _..._

 _To: Blake, A  
From: Reid, S_

 _Matchmaking?_

 _..._

 _To: Spencer  
From: Alex_

 _I didn't say anything. I just invited him. You two took care of the rest on your own. Granted I have no idea what he likes, but I know he's a real sweetheart and I have my suspicions. He would never embarrass anyone._

* * *

He believed her. Alex would never deliberately out him.

Did he dare?

* * *

 _To: Blake, A  
From: Reid, S_

 _OK give me his number_

* * *

She sent a number. He debated a few minutes more, took a deep breath and punched it in to his phone.

* * *

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S _

_Good morning. I hope this isn't too forward. Did you see me home last night?_

* * *

He waited a few, and then his phone pinged back

* * *

 _To: SR (DC)  
From: JT_

 _Good morning sleepyhead. Not at all. Yes I did. How are you feeling?_

* * *

Okay...

* * *

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S _

_Admittedly hung over. Alex Blake said we were talking a lot last night and you might have brought me home. Thank you._

 _..._

 _To: SR (DC)  
From: JT_

 _You're welcome. Not a problem. After that conversation I didn't think you would mind._

 _..._

 _From: Reid, S  
To: Taimana, J_

 _What were we talking about?_

 _..._

 _To: SR (DC)  
From: JT_

 _Some paper you did on paraphilias. Power exchange, modern human sexuality..._

* * *

Spencer dropped his phone and crawled under the covers to die.

* * *

 _To: SR (DC)  
From: JT_

 _You're hiding under the covers, aren't you?_

* * *

He reached out and dragged the phone under the covers with him.

* * *

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S _

_Yes, how did you know?_

 _..._

 _To: SR (DC)  
From: JT_

 _Lucky guess. Given your unit let me reassure you, I'm in Georgetown. I am not lurking._

 _..._

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S _

_Good to know, thank you. Sorry about last night._

 _..._

 _To: SR (DC)  
From: JT_

 _Nothing to be sorry for, it was a fascinating conversation._

 _..._

 _From: Reid, S  
To: Taimana, J_

 _I'm kind of glad I can't remember it._

* * *

There was kind of a long pause

* * *

 _To: SR (DC)  
From: JT_

 _I'm trying so hard not to use a really corny line right about now._

...

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S _

_A line?_

 _..._

 _To: SR (DC)  
From: JT_

 _Yeah. Let's keep it simple and I apologize if I misunderstood. Lunch?_

* * *

Spencer sat up and blinked at the phone. This was a date. He was being asked on a date.

Did he want to go on a date? With someone he didn't even remember? Did he want to?

Alex's judgment carried a lot of weight. And he was a fellow agent. And...

* * *

 _From: Reid, S  
To: Taimana, J_

 _Sure_

 _..._

 _To: SR (DC)  
From: JT_

 _Great! I'm at the Potomac Boat Club. Are you familiar with Georgetown?_

 _..._

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S _

_I know where that is_

 _..._

 _To: SR (DC)  
From: JT_

 _I'd say here but the food is lousy and the coffee worse than cop coffee. I'm here for four hours, meet me here and we'll find something._

 _..._

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S _

_How do you take your coffee?_

 _..._

 _To: SR (DC)  
From: JT_

 _Promise you won't laugh?_

 _..._

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S _

_Never_

 _..._

 _To: SR (DC)  
From: JT_

 _Double cream, five sugars_

* * *

Spencer smiled.

* * *

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S _

_Four hours. See you there._

* * *

Spencer settled back against the couch. He had a date.

Holy hell, he had a date!

He threw off the covers and got up. He needed to do something with his hair, figure out what to wear, what did you wear to lunch somewhere in Georgetown anyway, and who was he looking for...

No.

He knew what he needed to do.

He took a deep breath.

* * *

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Reid, S_

 _Are you home?_

 _..._

 _To: Junior G. Man  
From: The Goddess _

_Yeah, why?_

 _..._

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Reid, S_

 _I need your help._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 07**

 **Penelope Garcia's apartment  
Washington DC**

"Okay, so what is the big mystery? And how did you get home last night?" Garcia asked as she let Spencer in.

He had debated the entire way here. On the one hand he did not want to be teased about his sexuality. On the other hand, it might as well come out, he'd been with the team long enough that it really shouldn't matter anymore. "I met someone last night. Another agent." He said. "And we're having lunch today. And I am really, really, really not ready to share with the rest of the team. I do not want to be teased."

"Oh! So, this is good!" Garcia said as she poured the coffee. "I can understand, I love my chocolate thunder, but he is not always appropriate. So, how can I help?"

"Um, well, I had kind of a lot to drink last night..."

"So did I. That cider is amazeballs!"

"And alcohol does inhibit the formation of memory..."

"It does...wait, you don't remember her name?"

"No, I...I do. Alex helped, but..."

"Do you remember what she looks like?" Spencer sighed and shook his head. Garcia grinned and went for her laptop. "Oh sweetie, I can so help. What's her name?"

"I really..."

"I will not tell anyone, especially anyone on the team, my lips are sealed and if they aren't I will give you very embarrassing pictures you can put up in the office. What's her name?"

Spencer took a deep breath. "James Taimana."

Garcia started typing, then paused in mid-type. "Okay, I will so not share that before you're ready." She said. "But when you are please tell me so I can let Emily know that she won the pool."

Wait. "Emily?"

"Yes, she's been swearing that you're gay for years. And the only one too, she's earned bragging rights there."

"Well, she is an impressive profiler. More like bi though, I think."

"Bi?"

"Lila."

"Ahhh."

"I don't care what someone looks like. I'm more attracted to who they are inside. I mean, women are beautiful but I've found that men are easier to understand."

"That's actually kind of awesome."

"So this is not a thing?"

"No, of course not sweetie." She reached around his shoulder and pulled him into a quick side hug. "We love you. Okay, James Taimana, aka Jem Taimana, 32, from San Francisco, degree from Berkley major in psychology, minor in social work, speaks Spanish with a California dialect, Italian in three dialects and Samoan, and here is his ID picture..."

An ID photo was about as good as a driver's license photo, but he was handsome all right. Dark hair worn in waves past his shoulders. Hazel green eyes. Five o'clock shadow likely at mid-day. An interesting scar through his eyebrow, making him look a little devilish. A smile that went all the way to his eyes, an honestly happy smile. There was a lot of life in that face.

He tried to imagine that face pulling the covers over him last night, and shivered.

And Garcia noticed. "Your type, huh? I am not disagreeing with you there. Let's see here, Academy fresh out of college eleven years ago. His current assignment is classified, not unusual for that unit. A list of commendations, his Unit Chief adores him, no problems with anyone. Volunteers with the Boys and Girls club, does something for the Smithsonian, member of the Potomac Boat Club..."

"I'm meeting him there today. We're going to go get lunch somewhere in Georgetown."

"Aww, that's a nice first date. He has family listed in San Francisco and Samoa, which explains the language. Oh wait...okay, trust me on this." She reached over and picked up her phone.

"Morning my goddess." Morgan's voice came from the phone.

"Good morning my darling, am I interrupting something?"

"Nope. What's up?"

"I have a question, and I do not have many details to give in return yet so do not press me."

"Okay."

"A friend of mine met someone at the party last night. They're having lunch today and we want any intel we can get and I think you might know him."

"Okay, who?"

"James Taimana. He teaches Krav Maga at the Academy."

"Jem? Yeah, I know him. We work out together sometimes. He's a great guy. Real mellow, easy going. Good agent from what I've heard."

"Do you know what he's into? Like, nerd-wise, if anything?"

"Like I know. You know what, let me call you back."

"Okay."

Morgan hung up. Spencer turned to Garcia. "You don't think he's going to ask him, is he?"

"Likely. Does this guy know you know Morgan?"

"I don't know."

"Look, we're all FBI agents. He has to know we do background checks. Especially this unit, we're, like, the crazy magnet."

"This is true."

A few minutes later Morgan called back. "So, what did you learn?" Garcia asked.

"He likes smooth jazz, horror movies, Torchwood and Firefly. He prefers to read non-fiction. He likes to go to museums, living history events, plays and Asian restaurants. He's a real nice guy, I'd set him up with my sister. Which is why I think you should go for it."

"Me?" Garcia broke into a grin.

"Oh yeah. You really think I believe you're asking about someone else?" He started laughing.

"I am, I swear."

"Uh huh. I didn't know you were in to that sort of thing."

"What sort of thing?"

"Have fun." With one last chuckle Morgan rang off.

"What sort of thing?" Spencer asked.

"I have no idea." Garcia started laughing herself. "Okay, when you tell him I want to be there."

"What sort of thing?" Now he was a little concerned.

"Spencer!" Garcia turned on him. "Have you ever dated anyone? I know Austen didn't go well and Lila didn't go well and now I know why but have you ever actually dated a guy?"

"Yes. Two. In college. One was...kind of serious for a while and the break up was..."

"Bad?"

"He told me I had to choose between him and the Bureau."

"Oh god, I can sense the drama behind that story already."

"You have no idea." There had been _so_ much drama. "The other is why I'm kind of leery about telling Morgan."

"Leery why?"

"He was a lot older than I was. But I was an adult and it was completely consensual, I swear."

"Yeah but that might still weird my love out, I can see it. In college, what about since you moved to DC?" He shook his head. She sighed. "Go. Walk around Georgetown. Have lunch. He sounds nice. Two people you trust have endorsed him. You have to at least give this a chance."

"Right." He had to give this a chance. "Thank you."

"And you will call me with all the details later."

"I will."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 08**

 **Potomac Boat Club  
Georgetown  
Washington DC**

Spencer showed up early, carrying two cups of coffee. He was glad he'd taken the bus, the small parking area was packed. As was the boat club dock. Apparently this place was more popular than he thought.

He asked a number of people where he might find James or Jem Taimana. Finally one of them knew who he was talking about. "Jem is out in the fautasi." He said. "They should be on their last run."

"The..." What was a fautasi? Spencer tucked that away to ask about later.

The man on the dock gestured out into the water. In the distance there was a long boat coming up the river. It looked more substantial than the usual racing sculls, and held more people. For it's size it was moving _remarkably_ fast.

He watched for a while, couldn't pick Jem out among the rowers, realized he was early and retreated to a safe distance. Jem would likely go grab a quick shower before coming out to look for him; he wanted to give him space to do that. So he watched from a distance as the men came to the dock and started getting the boat out of the water.

* * *

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Reid, S_

 _I think I know what Morgan was laughing about._

 _..._

 _To: Junior G. Man  
From: The Goddess _

_What?_

 _..._

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Reid, S_

 _Can you get Jem's vital statistics?_

 _..._

 _To: Junior G. Man  
From: The Goddess _

_Vital statistics?_

 _..._

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Reid, S_

 _Height and weight, specifically._

 _..._

 _To: Junior G. Man  
From: The Goddess _

_Yeah_

 _..._

 _To: Junior G. Man  
From: The Goddess _

_Okay, this says he's 6' 4" and 235 pounds and has a pe'a tattoo somewhere. Want me to google that? I wonder how much of that weight is muscle?_

 _..._

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Reid, S_

 _No, please don't google it. Thank you._

* * *

Yep, that was him. All of a sudden he was _very_ glad he had a few more minutes to compose himself. Good heavens.

About fifteen minutes later he heard footsteps behind him. "Spencer?"

The way to a cop's heart was through his coffee cup. Spencer turned and offered him one of the cups he was carrying. "Thank you for getting me home last night."

The man in front of him was indeed huge, but carried it so well you couldn't tell unless you had a trained eye, and gave off an air of not only being entirely in control but also impossibly gentle. He almost melted a little at the sight of the coffee. "You're welcome. Anytime. You didn't have to do that, thank you."

"Nonsense." It was coffee, the least he could do. They fell into step easily, heading for the stairs up to the main road and into the neighborhood. "Where to?"

"I have no idea, I'm not that familiar with the neighborhood."

"I am. I teach over at Georgetown sometimes. Anything in particular?"

"Not sushi. Otherwise I'm open."

"You don't like sushi?"

"I love sushi. East Coast sushi is crap." He laughed as he said it.

"California sushi is so much better?"

"Yeah, it is. I'm kinda spoiled when it comes to seafood, blame my grandparents."

"They fed you a lot of seafood?"

"Yeah. My father was Samoan, they still live on the islands."

"Oh, well..." Spencer grinned, now it made sense. "Let me guess, right out of the water and onto the grill?"

"You know it." Jem grinned back. "Or on to the sushi rice. After that pretty much everything else suffers by comparison."

"If you don't mind walking for a bit I know a great Indian place."

"Lead the way." They climbed the steps to the park on the cliff above the river and headed right into the neighborhood. "So Penelope sounds nice."

Spencer couldn't help it, he started laughing. "She is, she's amazing."

"You looked me up."

"I did, I confess. Perhaps I should apologize."

"Not at all, I've heard some of Derek's stories. Your unit attracts some serious crazies. I'm guessing you haven't said anything to your team yet. Or at least not to Derek."

"No but I probably will soon."

"What do you think your Unit Chief will say?"

"Nothing." Hotch wouldn't care. "Neither would Morgan, but..."

"But?"

Right, Jem worked with Morgan as well, if not as closely. "He's not at all homophobic, but he can be _very_ nosy. I think finding out about one of my past relationships would make him uncomfortable. He knows one of them, one was older..."

"Ahhh, got it." Jem nodded. "Right, not my business. So what do you teach at Georgetown?"

Not his business, he had pulled completely off the subject, but Spencer could tell from his body language that he was the protective sort, that was all. That was...kinda nice actually. "Forensic linguistics mostly. I guest lecture for Alex Blake. It's not all that exciting."

"Alex Blake." He laughed. "Am I the only one hearing the matchmaking song in my head?"

Spencer laughed with him. "Not at all. What is a fautasi?"

"A racing longboat. There are enough guys in the area that are on racing teams back home that want to keep up their training to get a full boat going, so we pooled our money and bought one. Not that I race but it's great exercise. And it's kind of a cultural thing."

"That means a lot to you." He smiled as Jem put an eyebrow up. "Your body language gives it away."

"Profilers. Yeah. My dad actually passed away before I was born, but I'm still close to that side of the family, especially my Grandfather. What about your family?"

"I come from a long line of Las Vegas lawyers. Quite the fascinating culture." That started them both chuckling. "I don't really talk to my dad anymore, but Mom and I are close."

"That's okay, I have family members I don't talk to anymore."

As Jem lifted his coffee cup in his other hand the cuff of his sweatshirt fell back, revealing a small flower tattooed on his inner wrist. "Is that a pe'a tattoo?" Spencer asked.

"This?" Jem turned his wrist so the ink could be seen more clearly. It was a lotus, with a long root entwined with a long scar. "No. But, um, I might let you see my pe'a someday."

He pronounced it correctly, Spencer assumed. Also, that was flirty as all hell. Spencer still didn't know _what_ it was but he could guess _where_ it was. Which distracted him from the thought of that scar and set fire to his face. "That...would be interesting."

"One would hope. Don't look it up though, pictures never do one justice."

"All right." Spencer realized he wanted to see that tattoo, and he wanted to hear the story behind that scar. And he wanted to spend more time learning everything about his new friend...

"So where is this place?"

"Right up here."

* * *

.

* * *

I'm putting up two today because things are a little rocky in my patch of the woods and I could use all the comments I can get today. Thank you.

For Jem I'm casting Jason Momoa. For the record he is four inches taller than Shemar Moore/Derek Morgan, and depending on the role carries between 30 and 60 more pounds of muscle with about the same body fat percentage. He's. Huge.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 09**

* * *

 _To: Junior G. Man  
From: The Goddess _

_So how did the date go?_

 _..._

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Reid, S_

 _I'm still on it._

 _..._

 _To: Junior G. Man  
From: The Goddess _

_So how did the date go?_

 _..._

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Reid, S_

 _I'm still on it_

 _..._

 _To: Junior G. Man  
From: The Goddess _

_So how did the date go?_

 _..._

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Reid, S_

 _I'm still on it. Know any good places to eat around the zoo?_

 _..._

 _To: Junior G. Man  
From: The Goddess _

_District Kitchen is awesome. Why?_

 _..._

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Reid, S_

 _We're stopping for dinner._

 _..._

 _To: Junior G. Man  
From: The Goddess _

_So how did the date go?_

 _..._

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Reid, S_

 _I'm still on it._

 _..._

 _To: Junior G. Man  
From: The Goddess _

_Reid, if you stay on this date any longer you're going to end up back at his place!_

 _..._

 _To: Junior G. Man  
From: The Goddess _

_Reid?!_

 _..._

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Reid, S_

 _I'm home. I'll give you the details tomorrow_

* * *

 **Capitol Plaza Apartment  
Unit #23  
Washington DC**

Spencer collapsed onto his couch with a happy sigh.

They had left the boat club and walked to Taj of India for lunch. After that he'd planned to go to Kramerbooks, and Jem decided to join him, so they walked up there and ended up having more coffee. Then Jem pointed out that Rock Creek wasn't that far and had a nice trail and they decided to head that way, only to wander up to Woodley Park, where they found that restaurant Garcia had suggested...

He'd had an _amazing_ time.

And Jem wanted to do it _again_.

Life was suddenly _very_ good.

* * *

 **Central gymnasium  
FBI Building  
Quantico, VA**

"You look happy this morning." Morgan said.

Jem looked up from where he was stashing his gear in his locker. "I am. Had a date yesterday. But you already knew that. If you're asking if I got your teammate home at a decent hour, yes I did Dad."

"I wasn't, but since you're sharing, awww..."

"Don't be too let down." Jem's smile grew into a grin. "We're trying again tonight."

"Tonight? Damn."

"When you hit it off that well why wait?"

Morgan grinned. "All right."

* * *

 **BAU Headquarters  
FBI Building  
Quantico, VA**

"Okay momma, I want the dirty deets." Morgan said.

It was still early in the work day. They were in the process of sorting out the morning coffee and sugar rush. And Morgan had cornered Garcia at the coffee pot, where Spencer was making his second breakfast. "Dirty deets?" Garcia asked.

"Your date with Jem. How did it go?"

"I didn't go on a date with Jem. My friend went on a date with Jem."

"Yeah, and Jem said he got my teammate home last night. Why are you hiding?"

Oh hell. Spencer carefully met Garcia's eyes. "Because you tease too much." Garcia said. "You push it, you know."

"Okay, okay." But his grin said he was not letting up just yet. "I just didn't think you were in to that sort of thing."

Blake and JJ joined them. "What are we talking about?" JJ asked.

"Baby girl's date last night." Morgan answered. "She went out with a guy I train with from Organized Crime."

"Oh hello." JJ said, turning her attention to her friend. "So, how was it?"

"From what I heard it was really nice. Dinner at District Kitchen, lots of walking around." Garcia said.

"It was better than nice if you guys are going out again tonight." Morgan replied.

"Okay, it was better than nice. But I don't have any dirty deets, I slept in my own bed last night. Okay?"

JJ looked over at Morgan. "I'll get more later." She stage whispered.

He laughed. "I just didn't think you were in to that sort of thing, baby girl."

"You are not serious!" Garcia said. "This can't be because he 's at least half Samoan."

"Nooo, you know me better. But he is big boy, you have to admit..."

Garcia got her finger up to Morgan's nose. "What I or anyone else is into or not into is not your business Derek Morgan."

"All right, all right, all right." He leaned over to JJ. "Let me know." He stage whispered back, before they both headed off to their desks.

In the meantime Garcia turned to head down the hall to her lair, only briefly looking back to indicate that Spencer should follow. He did, with Blake right behind. "Thank you." He said quietly. "Thank you so much."

"Anytime. You're right, he's a bulldog."

"Oh, so _you_ went out with Jem yesterday." Blake said. "I assume you told..." Spencer and Garcia both nodded. "So, how was it?"

"Amazing. Not that I can put my finger on any one thing, all we did was walk around and talk..."

"For nine hours." Garcia said.

Spencer stopped and considered. "Um, we did, didn't we?"

"I would call that a good time, yes." Blake said with a smile. "I am chalking this up to successful matchmaking already."

"Oh you did this?" Garcia asked.

"I take full credit." Blake replied.

"So how big is this guy?" Garcia asked. In reply Blake held her hand about an inch above Spencer's head and then about three, maybe four, times his width at the shoulder. Garcia's eyes widened. "Holy crows! I know his stats said big but whoa! How much of that is muscle do you think?"

"From what I could tell Jem carries about as much body fat as Morgan does." Blake replied.

"Oh my god!" Garcia's jaw dropped. She looked at Spencer. "And you're okay with this?"

"Not going there." Spencer had no objections to Jem's size. Rather the opposite in fact.

"Oh, you're telling _them_?" Morgan asked as he came around the corner and pretended to be offended.

"Not about my night." Garcia said. Hopefully he would think they were on a different topic.

He did, but not the one they wanted to hear. "Not you then..." Blake was married, so. "You had a date last night." He said to Spencer.

"No comment." Spencer replied, heading for his desk. Morgan teased too much, messing with him a little was fair payback.

"Who is she?"

"No comment."

"Who is who?" JJ asked.

"Pretty boy had a date last night too."

"It must be something in the water." JJ looked at Spencer. "So, what happened?"

"A gentleman would never tell."

She swatted at him with the file she was holding. "Oh, you're no fun! Going out with her again?"

"My team to the conference room, please." Hotch said from the catwalk.

Damn it. "I was." He said with a sigh.

"If she doesn't understand the workload then she's not the girl for you." JJ said.

Spencer shook his head and pulled out his phone. "Fellow agent."

"Oh, that makes it easy then."

* * *

 _From: Reid, S  
To: Taimana, J_

 _Looks like we're being called out on a case. Rain check for tonight?_

 _..._

 _From: JT  
To: SR (DC)_

 _Absolutely. Text me when you get back, there's this Cajun place I've been meaning to try. Assuming you like it spicy._

 _..._

 _From: Reid, S  
To: Taimana, J_

 _Deal. I love spicy._

 _..._

 _From: JT  
To: SR (DC)_

 _I'll remember that. Got a contact if it's needed?_

 _..._

 _From: Reid, S  
To: Taimana, J_

 _Blake. Or Penelope Garcia, she stays here. Hang on._

* * *

"Can I give...?" Spencer showed Garcia his phone.

"Of course sweetie." She replied.

* * *

 _From: Reid, S  
To: Taimana, J_

 _This number._

 _..._

 _From: JT  
To: SR (DC)_

 _Got it._ _Hoki_ _ki_ _ahau_ _._

* * *

Spencer would ask what that meant later. Hotch was starting the file

* * *

 _From: JT  
To: PG (DC)_

 _Just to confirm this number, you're my contact?_

 _..._

 _From: The Goddess_  
 _To: Island Boy_

 _You better believe it. Anything happens I'll let you know, you need to get word through send me a ping. Just so we're clear, hurt my Junior G-man and I will turn every electronic device you ever touch into a hunk of Government cheese. Understand?_

 _..._

 _From: JT  
To: PG (DC)_

 _Yes, Ma'am._

 _..._

 _From: The Goddess  
To: Island Boy_

 _We're going to get along splendidly._

* * *

,

* * *

FYI, Jem uses Maori instead of Samoan because that was as close as Google Translate would get me. If anyone out there knows any Samoan and wants to help with the translation of a few words and phrases I would be exceedingly grateful.

If life around here doesn't improve today it won't until Monday, so please keep your fingers crossed for us.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **Alex Blake's house  
Alexandria, VA**

"You know, I am terribly curious." Alex said as she put the tea tray down on her coffee table. "Is all of your knowledge of the BDSM scene academic?"

It had been one hell of a case, one where they came too close to serious trauma. Spencer was not up to sleeping alone tonight. And of course Jem had been called out on a case and wasn't due back until tomorrow morning, not that he was ready to go there but an evening spent on the phone or even chatting with that tablet everyone insisted he buy would have been a welcome distraction. Thankfully Alex had come through with an offer of her guest room. Now he was curled up on her couch in his pajamas while she took the wing chair in her own comfy clothes and passed him a mug of Sleepytime tea. "No." He admitted. He never spoke about this part of his past really. Gideon had known, but no one else. Maybe it was time. "Is yours?"

"Not at all." She admitted with a wise and serene smile. "But I asked you first."

Oh dear. "You're going to be so upset with me for this."

"Am I? Well, your mother can't yell at you so I might as well. What happened?"

"Okay, this is back when I was in college."

"People experiment in college. That's part of why they go to college."

"And when I turned eighteen my twenty-two year old roommate wanted me to go to this club with him."

"I thought you couldn't do that until you were twenty-one in California."

"You can't. But we thought my grad student ID would be enough."

"Was it?"

"After another professor vouched for me on the way in the door."

"Ohhh." Alex nodded. "The only reason why a CalTech professor would break the law like that would be because he was...interested?"

Spencer nodded. "We started talking and along the way he asked if I wanted a tutor, because clearly I had a lot to learn about human sexuality. And he was reasonably good looking and I was nervous about the whole thing and, you know, comfortable in an academic setting..."

"Did you have your first drink that night?"

Spencer nodded. "First couple of drinks. He was grooming me. I know that now."

"But as a naive 18 year old you wouldn't. It was understandable."

"It was. I mean, it was fun at first."

"It always is. And, of course, he asked you to keep it a secret, ethics and all..."

"Which made it feel like an adventure. And he never broke trust, never crossed a boundary, listened to everything I said..."

"He got you to trust him. It's a classic pattern."

"I know." Spencer winced a little. "I feel so stupid now..."

"But you couldn't have known then."

"I know."

"I assume something took it over the line?"

"He had...a group of friends. I assumed it was a community..."

"Like a munch group or something?"

"Yeah."

"Those groups tend to be self policing. You're usually safer being involved in one. I'm guessing this one wasn't?"

"Not so much, no." Oh, this was the embarrassing part. "Have you heard of doll play?"

"I have. That's a rare one. I've never participated myself. It's supposed to be a lot of fun if you can learn to do it."

"Also incredibly relaxing." Spencer smiled.

Alex put an eyebrow up but didn't say anything. "But it's also tricky. I saw a demonstration in New York once, I have to admit it was interesting. The bottom had amazing control. As I recall there's no quick release from the rigs they use and it's easier to drop into subspace so you have to be careful, no more than a few hours at a time, and it's safer to play in a semi-public venue."

"Yeah, I know all that _now_."

"Oh no." Alex groaned. "What part didn't he do?"

"Most of it. He was there, thankfully. We were at his friend's house and...he convinced me to go all night. Twelve hours. But it was a three day week-end..."

"How long did they keep it going?"

"Sixty-six hours. From Friday after dinner to Monday noon. We'd agreed on ending it Saturday morning."

Alex's eyes widened. "Spencer! They could have killed you!"

"Like I said, I know that _now_. I wasn't hurt, they were careful. I was more angry than anything. I told him over and over that this was just for _fun_ ; I'm not a true submissive. I didn't want to go full time with anything."

"But they got you to a situation where they could force the issue. So what did you do?"

"Well, as soon as they let me go Professor Marcus said that his friend expected me for Spring Break. All of Spring Break."

"A week!"

"I know. I ended the relationship immediately, told them I never wanted to see either of them again. I haven't done anything like that since."

"Good for you. Oh god, now I am going to have nightmares."

Spencer smiled. "It was over ten years ago. I'm fine."

"Still. That ended it?"

"The relationship, or..."

"I shouldn't ask, but both."

"More or less. I ah..." He felt himself blushing a little. "I know a lot more about myself now, but I don't think I'd ever be that active again."

"Active, but in a...well, no, there hasn't been anyone. What about the relationship?"

"They harassed me for a while, the usual trying to get me to talk to them, leaving gifts and so on."

"Stalking behavior."

"Eventually Professor Marcus left off though. He came back and apologized and said I was right for breaking it off and that was it. And one day his friend just stopped."

"Just stopped?"

"Yeah, I never heard from him again. I assume he found someone else who was interested."

"Thank god. So I'm guessing your next boyfriend wasn't into it?"

"No. No, he was very vanilla. Very, very vanilla. He had trouble leaving the lights on. And he was my age too, or close. Early twenties anyway."

She laughed. "There's a change of pace for you."

"I know. He wanted the white picket fence in the suburbs, or at least the nice condo in a quiet neighborhood with good take out, you know." He chuckled. "I was actually really happy with that."

"I can see it. So what happened?"

"Long story short, he introduced me to Gideon, who recruited me of course, but then he didn't want me to join the Bureau. He knew how hard it could be on a relationship and he didn't want to go there. He told me I had to choose. Then before I could he chose for us and left. I came home the next day and his things were gone. He left a note." Spencer sighed into his tea. "I hate it when they leave notes."

"Oh." Alex shook her head. "Oh, that's unfortunate. I am so sorry. But hey, you have a date tomorrow night."

"I have a date tomorrow night. I have no clue if Jem is vanilla or not."

"Neither do I. But you know what to do now."

"I do." Finding out was going to be an adventure in and of itself. "Okay, your turn. How did you get involved, did James introduce you or..."

"Oh no dear, I introduced him." Alex smiled. "He's mine, you know."

Spencer settled back with his tea, this should be good.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

* * *

 _To: Jack  
From: Stella_

 _You in Seattle?_

 _..._

 _To: SD (SF)  
From: JT_

 _Yeah. How'd you know?_

 _..._

 _To: Jack  
From: Stella_

 _Serious? Let me take my favorite otter to dinner._

 _..._

 _To: SD (SF)  
From: JT_

 _Okay. Usual place & time?_

* * *

 **Ray's Boathouse  
Seattle, WA**

Ray's was an old school kind of place, solid, upscale but not fancy. And the view was amazing. Jem lounged in a chair on the deck and watched the sun slowly sink into the Pacific on the far side of Puget Sound and waited. Hopefully this would just be dinner. It was too soon for anything else.

Hopefully.

Just as the waiter was leaving he was stopped by a woman coming in. She was dressed conservatively, but in a way that spoke of money, every inch the high-priced, extremely competent lawyer. She spoke to the waiter briefly and then came over to his table. "Please tell me you weren't screwing with my order." He said.

"Get between a sea otter and his big bowl of clams? Never." She had a slight accent that most would trace to New York, but they would be wrong. "Are you going to give me a hug or what?"

"Of course I am." He got up and enveloped her slight form, even briefly lifting her off the ground. "It's good to see you Stel."

"Good to see you Jackie. It's been too goddammed long. Oh." She grinned as he set her back on her feet and then sat across from him. "You are not a baby any more, are you? I think you got bigger."

"Since the last time I came out here? I know I got bigger. And look at you, you look fantastic. How are the kids?"

"They're doing great. Paul got MVP in his soccer league last week. Maria's learning to read already."

"Damn, they are growing fast."

"Yeah, too fast. That means I'm getting older." The waiter brought wine, likely an excellent chardonnay, but Jem turned it down. He would not drink on duty, or on this side of the country. Stella waited until the waiter left to settle back with her glass. "So, I heard about what happened to Tom Bonnano last night."

"What happened to Tom Bonnano last night?"

"Don't bullshit me Jackie. Unless you changed careers on me..." He put his badge on the table. Stella looked at it and sighed. "Didn't think so. Your people busted him last night. Word has it they found everything he was hiding, got so much evidence his lawyer is telling him to give up and come clean. And don't bullshit me and tell me you weren't right in the middle of it either."

The waiter came back and placed large bowls of steamed clams dripping in a spiced sauce and a small loaf of bread in front of each of them. It smelled heavenly. Jem's stomach grumbled. "What would it take to get the chef to part with the recipe for this?" He asked the waiter.

"A miracle." The waiter replied.

"Damn." When the waiter was gone he turned back to Stella. "I can't say anything about Bureau business, you know that. But I will say that if I was involved I wouldn't tell you."

"I know." She started picking through her clams.

Jem watched her a moment, the new warring with the old inside him. "Does Johnny know about Tom Bonnano?"

"Yeah, he does. He wants your ass Jackie, you know that."

"Yeah, well..."

"Is that why you're getting so big? You know all that muscle ain't gonna stop a bullet."

"Johnny doesn't want to shoot me. He's too much of a sadist to make it that clean."

"Yeah, I know. And you know too, and they let you out without babysitters."

Jem looked over at the bar where Stella's two bodyguards were waiting. "The Bureau doesn't need to be in my private business. Besides, I can take care of myself."

"You really think that? You know, when Johnny goes after you..."

" _If_ Johnny comes after me. I'm a Fed now Stel, remember? Johnny is wrong in the head but he's not that wrong in the head."

" _When_ Johnny goes after you you're not going to be able to handle it yourself. So the Bureau better pay you back in protection for all the work you've been doing for them. You know the only thing holding him back is the promise the old man made to Mama."

Yeah, Jem knew that. But Johnny wasn't that crazy, surely he wasn't that crazy anymore. "How is the old man?"

"Doing well for pushing 70. He's still sharp as a tack, still gets around, still has control. The doctor has him on one of those low salt, low fat heart diets."

"Oh I bet he loves that." Jem chuckled.

Stella grinned. "You know it. Man, he bitches about every meal, ain't got no flavor, doesn't taste right, why can't we do it like Mama did..."

"I can just imagine." Jem smiled and set some bread swimming in the too tasty sauce. "So, tell me about you these days."

"Nah, you first. You meet anyone yet?"

Jem looked into his bowl, and realized that he was going to have to make Spencer clams someday soon. Maybe some shrimp scampi to go with it, something in a lemon pastry for desert. That bringing him home and cooking for him was already inevitable. "Nope. Too busy with work. How's that new husband of yours?"

* * *

 _To: Jack  
From: Stella_

 _Never say I don't love you._

 _Attachment: Ray's clams recipe_

* * *

 _To: Stella  
_ _From: Johnny_

 _You tell him about the old man?_

 _..._

 _To: Johnny  
From: Stella_

 _No_

 _..._

 _To: Stella  
From: Johnny_

 _Good girl_

* * *

.

* * *

Because she is important I'm casting Tea Leoni as Stella

I'm putting these out there because I just want to tell story.

Still no word, please keep your fingers crossed for us for just a little while more.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **BAU Headquarters  
FBI Building  
Quantico, VA**

It had been quite the case. Thank god Morgan had been wearing his vest. "So, you got a date with Jem tonight?" He asked Garcia as she met them in the bullpen as they made their way in.

"You know, you have asked me eight times, and every time I tell you I am not dating Jem." She replied.

"Why do you keep playing me?" Morgan asked. "He's going out with someone here. JJ's married, Blake is married, that leaves you."

"Our collective dating lives are not your business you know." She grinned at him. "Now finish your paperwork so I can close out the file."

"And you can get to your dinner." Morgan chuckled as she rolled her eyes and walked away.

In the meantime Spencer was standing there with his own stack of files, eyeing his friends. "How many times did I do your paperwork for you so you could go on a date?" He asked Morgan.

"I don't know."

Spencer looked at JJ. "How many times did I do yours so you could catch a flight to New Orleans?"

She considered this. "Ummmm..."

"That's what I thought." He split his stack of six in to two piles of three, put one on JJ's stack and the other on Morgan's. "My turn. See you all in the morning." He grabbed his bag and suitcase and was out the door by the time they could howl in anguish.

"You have got to be kidding me!" JJ sputtered.

"Fair is fair." Blake replied. "You have a relationship, Morgan here has a reputation..."

"Hey!" Morgan said.

"She's right." JJ replied.

"...now it's his turn. But if I'm going to take the credit..." She lifted one folder from each of their piles, leaving them with two. "...I must also take the blame."

* * *

 _To: The 'aiga  
From : JT_

 _OK, if anyone is planning to have a crisis tonight speak up now. I'm having a friend over for dinner and would rather not be disturbed for a few hours if you all don't mind._

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: JK (BU)_

 _OK, just to clarify. Friend? Male friend or female friend? You never talk about this sort of thing._

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: KC (WL)_

 _Friend friend or date friend? You never tell us that either._

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From : JT_

 _OK, since it's coming up I might as well say it now. Yes, I am gay. Yes, I have a boyfriend. And I'd rather not have that discussed outside of the 'aiga, which I know you can all understand._

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From : JT_

 _Remember, 'aiga is where we can be honest about ourselves and be accepted and loved as we are. Consider this a teaching moment even I need to learn some times._

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: JK (BU)_

 _Awesome. So I'm not the only one?_

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From : JT_

 _You are totally not the only one. If you want to talk you know where to find me._

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: SW (GW)_

 _Jem is in loooove..._

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: KC (WL)_

 _OMG, is he cute?_

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: SW (GW)_

 _Why do you care Kristi? He's dating Jem, this means you are so not his type._

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: KC (WL)_

 _Because Jem deserves someone cute and entirely amazing, that's why._

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From : JT_

 _I happen to think he's gorgeous and entirely amazing, thank you Kristi._

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: ML (USMC) _

_That's awesome dude. Can't wait to meet him. You are going to let us meet him, right?_

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: CR (BU)_

 _Yeah, why didn't you invite him over for Christmas?_

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: JT_

 _Too soon. Relationships have a rhythm, trust me on that. I'll likely have him over for the Memorial Day BBQ_

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: BC (MH)_

 _Yes, we get to meet Jem's boyfriend!_

* * *

 **1881 North Nash Street  
Unit 2503**  
 **Arlington,** **VA**

Yes, Jem was cooking tonight. After four months of dating, four months of going out at least once a week, sometimes two or three times, he was finally going to see Jem's condo. "Everyone wonders when they hear where I live." He'd said. "My step-grandparents left me enough to require an accountant who insisted I park it in real estate. So I bought a condo. That building has the best security in DC, the view is just a nice extra."

Granted Spencer didn't really care about Jem's condo, not really. Jem could live in a shack for all he cared. What he cared about was seeing Jem again. Somehow life was better when he could be around him, things improved in a direct relationship to his proximity. He found himself not exactly running the block from the Metro station to Jem's building, but he was walking quickly. And he was _smiling_.

The building did have very good security. He entered the lobby that rivaled a plush hotel, only to find a desk clerk waiting to check his ID and double check with Jem before buzzing him into the elevator lobby. Along the way he passed not one but two armed security guards and spotted a number of cameras. The second guard checked his ID again before unlocking an elevator for him. The elevator whisked him up and up and up a lot further than he expected.

He stepped out into an elevator lobby at the top, only to be confronted by a bicycle, and a brilliantly bright poster. Home sweet home. For a moment Spencer's heart leapt.

He knocked. "Hey." Jem said as he opened the door and let out the most heavenly aroma. He was barefoot, in well worn jeans and a loose Henley shirt, and a chef's apron. "Come in. Make yourself at home."

"All right." Spencer replied.

The apartment was a lot more than Spencer expected. He entered into the hallway and followed Jem to the left. It was a loft as it turned out, two stories, with the large living room open to both, and a view of the Potomac and the city beyond. He was drawn to the windows, noted the Kennedy Center and the Lincoln Memorial from here. "Wow."

"Like I said, the view is a nice extra." Jem grinned as Spencer turned to look at him. "Okay, a very nice extra."

A very nice extra indeed, but Spencer was more interested in the apartment. As he'd come in he'd gone past the large kitchen, tucked into the near end of the area under the loft. It was large and comfortable and reminded him a lot of Rossi's, similar equipment and appliances. Between there and the window there was a good sized table, some seating, a TV that didn't bother to compete with the windows, and a scattering of other pieces. But none of it was sleek or modern, like you would expect in a condo, or pretentious or expensive. All of it was rustic, worn, lots of texture. It looked like he'd gone shopping in antique barns and back road workshops. Old quilts draped the couch, which had ample room for a large, tall man to stretch out, threadbare rugs dotted the floor, and more of the same artist from the foyer hung on the walls. "Mary Engelbreit?" He asked, with a nod to the art as he came back to the kitchen.

"Her work makes me smile."

"I agree." He stopped to look at a set of toys on the coffee table. A miniature farm was set out in great detail. "What are you cooking?"

"Cous cous di pesce, Sicilian style."

OK, the flock of chickens was really cute. "You really think you can out Italian food Dave Rossi?"

"I know I can out Italian food Dave Rossi. I will even send leftovers to prove it."

"What makes you think we'll have leftovers?" Spencer asked with a straight face.

Jem stopped chopping parsley and stared at him, laughter in his green eyes. "Not even you can eat all this."

"You sure?"

"Not even you can eat all this and leave room for ricotta pie for dessert."

Spencer considered. "You might have me there. Do you always cook like this?"

He was gratified to see the larger man flush slightly. "No. I'm trying to impress you. Is it working?"

"So far."

"Good. You know, there's a coat rack in the entryway."

Spencer considered this. "Actually, bathroom?"

"Right behind the kitchen."

Spencer made quick work of it, leaving his jacket, sweater, tie and shoes on the rack by the door and his contacts in his satchel, pausing only to roll up his sleeves. When he came back he accepted the glass of what turned out to be a very good chardonnay. "No books?" He asked as he looked around the room again.

"Upstairs. I want to make the loft area a library, but it's a work in progress. Go ahead." Jem said with a smile as Spencer looked up the stairs that rose along the other side of the room.

Spencer wandered up for a look. Work in progress was right, there was room to line the space in bookshelves, but they were only half way there, and of those only half were filled. But there were some deliberate spaces as well. "What kind of art is this?"

"Wood block prints from Samoa. One of my cousins is the artist."

"It's beautiful."

"I'll tell her you said that." Just then he heard the distinctive sound of Jem's phone going off. "Gahhh!"

Spencer chuckled as he came downstairs. "Do you have to go?"

"No. It's the 'aiga." Jem frowned at the message, sent a fairly lengthy text, then went back to stirring something that smelled impressively savory.

"The 'aiga?" Spencer settled on a bar stool on the other side of the kitchen counter.

"My 'aiga. The literal translation from Samoan is 'family', but it encompasses so much more. Clan is maybe a better translation. Ummm...Okay, part of this is classified..."

"I have the clearance for it."

"I know. I'd tell you anyway. What do you know about Cluster B personality disorders? Specifically Narcissistic and Antisocial."

Oh that was a fascinating topic. "Narcissistic personality disorder is a Cluster B personality disorder in which a person is excessively preoccupied with personal adequacy, power, prestige and vanity, mentally unable to see the destructive damage they are causing to themselves and to others in the process. Antisocial or dissocial personality disorder is characterized by a pervasive pattern of disregard for, or violation of, the rights of others."

"Both very common among leaders of organized crime families, yeah?"

"I would think so. It's practically a definition."

"OK, what about the scapegoat in that dynamic?"

"The Scapegoat is, as the name suggests, the person on whom all the ills of the family are projected. They can do no right, in fact doing well is usually punished because it upsets the family construct. They're constantly emotionally and verbally abused, given the bare minimum of support, not protected against violence at all. It's one of the most consequential types of abuse there is because it's so pervasive and there's so little support given to the victims. A number of the Unsubs we've dealt with over the years had their psychotic breaks as a result of growing up as the family scapegoat."

"Because they couldn't get free of it?"

"Yes. I mean, the options for getting free of that kind of abuse are limited. CPS rarely pulls children for emotional or verbal abuse so long as the minimum of physical support is there and there's no record of physical or sexual abuse, they have their hands full with the cases whose lives are endangered. Then when they reach maturity it's hard for them to launch, abusive parents like that won't provide any of the documentation needed to make financial arrangements for college but there isn't the kind of abuse or abandonment you'd need for a dependency waver. They usually either join the military or work multiple low wage jobs just to get out of the house."

"Assuming they can pass a security clearance to get into the military." Jem countered. "And their parents don't control the lower end work in the region."

"Like mob bosses do." Spencer nodded. Coming from a crime family would make a security clearance impossible as well. "Mob kids don't have a way out." All of a sudden he realized what Jem was saying. "You're giving them one."

* * *

.

* * *

Let's see how badly I can mangle another culture. My apologies if the mangling is horrible.

Still waiting to hear back on that other thing, but meeting today so hopeful.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 **1881 North Nash Street  
Unit 2503**  
 **Arlington,** **VA**

"You're giving them one. That's how you're so successful." Jem nodded. Spencer rapidly considered the ramifications. "Underage informants, I haven't looked into it but I don't think that's legal."

"I don't let them turn over evidence until they're eighteen, preferable not until they graduate high school." Jem sipped his wine. "Granted most of the time I have to hold them back."

"But you start grooming them before they turn eighteen."

"I prefer the term mentoring. I have a private donor who's provided more than enough funds to make sure that every kid I work with has the same option to get out, regardless of whether they decide to work with the Bureau or not. They make that decision for themselves, the only result is which budget I use to get them out. And I keep records of all my chat logs for accountability."

"That...sounds all right." It was a fine ethical line, but it sounded like Jem was on the right side of it. "Chat logs?"

In reply Jem held up his phone. "It used to be that scapegoats suffered in silence. But word is getting out, there are a number of growing forums and chat sites out there for victims and survivors. The mods patrol them carefully, any minors who post are told to go to a teacher, a guidance counselor or the police."

"But what happens when their dad owns the police?" Spencer saw the problem.

"They don't own the FBI." Jem replied.

"How many?"

"Eighteen so far and I'm currently working with three."

"How many have turned evidence?"

"All of them. We got air tight cases off of every one. I mean no one thinks the stupid fuck up retard waste of space who can't do a single goddammed thing right would ever be a risk around your computer, or your safe combination, or your meeting schedule."

Spencer blinked. When Jem said that there was the kind savage note in his voice that spoke of experience. But he wasn't going to chase after it just yet. "What happens to the kids after you get them out?'

"One way or the other they get the full Witness treatment, new identities, new faces if need be, and either a full ride scholarship or a clean background for military service."

"So you turn them over to the Marshals?"

Jem shook his head. "No. I can't just turn them over to the Marshals. By the time we get to that point they're my 'aiga, I'm their Matai. I can't just let them go."

"Your clan. What's a Matai?"

A Matai is the chief, the head of a family. He's the one responsible for everyone's well-being. It's his job to make sure everyone is safe and cared for. When I decided to try this I went to talk to my Matai, my grandfather, and to the elders in our clan. They said what I was doing was a lot like things were done in the old days. If someone needed to leave their family for protection for some reason they would go to the territory of another Matai for sanctuary. But once they were taken in they were part of that 'aiga, and the Matai had to care for them like he would his own people. That's what I'm doing, I'm taking these kids away from their families for their protection at their request, which makes me responsible for them. Me. Not the Marshals, not the Bureau, _me_."

"You agreed with him."

"Yeah. So I decided to go through the ritual process of becoming a Matai, of receiving the title."

"A spiritual ritual?"

"Yeah. At the end of it I had my pe'a and my title. Now I'm responsible for those kids."

This was a deeply serious business for him. "Are you counseling them?" Spencer asked.

Jem chuckled. "Oh hell no. I'd be drowning if I even tried to play therapist for one of them. No, I try to be more like what a big brother would be for a college kid if their parents were gone, answer questions, make sure the bank account doesn't run too low, be there if they need a shoulder or a place to crash. I've made sure they all have access to therapy, and it's paid for, but I don't counsel them myself. I'm not that crazy."

"So they're all in college?"

"I've launched three so far. Two went into the Marines, one has actually graduated and has a real job." Jem did a little happy dance over that one. "The rest are all in colleges, mostly east coast..." Now he was grinning... "I have fifteen younger brother and sister undergrads in the family..."

A dull horror curled in the college professor part of Spencer's belly. "That's a challenge."

"No kidding. If they're not broke they swear they're flunking out, their roommate is psycho, they're breaking up with their current romance or they probably have mono." Spencer started laughing with him. "You should see the holidays around here. I have the two bedrooms upstairs set up as hostels, male and female. They all come down, they eat me out of house and home, screw up my Netflix queue, abuse my washer and dryer..."

"And you love it." Spencer said. "You're enjoying this."

Jem shrugged. "They're family, my siblings. I love them, even when they drive me crazy."

"Siblings." Spencer considered this. "And your Unit Chief knows you're still in contact with them?"

"This comes out of the Director's office. He's an old friend."

Right. Spencer knew that if he went to John he'd be able to get confirmation, reassurances. But he decided he didn't need them. "What do you need from me?"

Jem looked surprised at the question. "Um...I don't know? I just wanted to warn you, if you want to keep coming over..."

"I do." He did. He knew that now.

"...then at some point you're going to run into someone having a crisis."

"You know I'm still teaching at Georgetown, I was an adjutant professor at CalTech, if it's an academic crisis...okay, that's a little overly happy there." Because Jem was grinning...

"Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"You're welcome." Spencer thought of some of the victims he'd seen over the years, of Owen Savage and Adam Jackson and Tobias Hankle. Jem had found a way to help even a few... "You know, you could ask Alex if she wants to help as well."

"They're undergrads. She'd shoot me."

"Not someplace lethal." Shared laughs were the best ones.

They laughed until it ran out and then Jem looked at him. It was that kind of look, the kind that said that he was feeling it too. "Do you want to meet my 'aiga?"

That, Spencer thought, was an honor. There was a lot of trust there. "Of course."

Jem came around and picked up his phone.

* * *

 _To: The 'aiga  
From : JT_

 _OK everyone be nice to Spencer. You can poke him if you need an FBI agent and I'm not around, although he's not as available as I am. He also holds PhD's in Mathematics, Chemistry and Engineering and degrees in psychology and sociology and might as well have them in Classics and History if it's an academic question._

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: SW (GW)_

 _Linear Algebra? Please please!_

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From : JT_

 _Not tonight! We're still on our date!_

* * *

"Kids." Jem grumbled.

Spencer laughed until he cried.

"Okay, I picked the meal, you get to pick the movie." Jem said.

"Fair enough. You like horror movies, right?"

"The scarier the better." Jem grinned.

Spender grinned right back and went to sort out the TV controls.

* * *

.

* * *

Thank you all for all of your good wishes. It looks like things are going to be all right around here, at least for the next few weeks. Will know more on Tuesday.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 **1881 North Nash Street  
Unit 2503**  
 **Arlington,** **VA**

It wasn't that they stopped going out, at least not all together. But more and more 'dates' consisted of dinner and a movie at Jem's place. It was just easier to relax.

By the time February was drawing to a close they reached a turning point. They had each thoroughly enjoyed the events the other had chosen, had likely eaten every option for dinner in the city that did not require a tie, and had savored a number of long discussions on every trivial subject under the sun. It was now time, as any of Jem's grandfathers would have said, to fish or cut bait.

They were sitting on Jem's large couch watching a scary movie. The first time they had done this Spencer had sat at one end, Jem the other. With ever succeeding movie Spencer had moved a little closer. Now he was sitting within a foot, but even that felt too far away. And the worst part was that Jem felt it too.

Spencer looked over at Jem, sitting there with his feet up on the large hassock, studying that happy face and strong body in the witch light coming from the TV and the windows. Then Jem caught him looking and he looked back at the screen.

A few moments later he felt someone watching him and looked over as Jem looked away.

"One of us is going to have to break this." Jem said quietly.

"One of us." Spencer agreed.

They watched until the next lull in the action. "Okay, we'll flip a coin." Spencer looked over to see Jem fishing a quarter out of his pocket. "Heads or tails?"

"Tails." Spencer's eyes were naturally drawn to the spinning silver disk. At least until he was grabbed from behind. "Hey!"

As the quarter rattled to the floor he found himself pulled back until he was resting against a large, warm chest. "Much better." Jem said as he shifted so Spencer could more comfortably lean against him. "Yeah?"

Actually...Spencer shifted a little, then a little more. He found a comfortable hollow for his head, and his arms fit just so there and there, and his knee was up on a little pillow so it didn't hurt at all..."Yeah." He could lean back and watch the movie without having to strain his neck. In fact...he breathed in, and out, and for a moment went completely boneless. And nothing shifted, he was in the perfect spot. "Yeah."

"Okay then." Jem grinned and took a sip from his mug of coffee.

Yeah. This was perfect, totally comfortable, a little warm. Spencer became aware of a sound under his ear, a heartbeat, strong and steady and even. It was a good sound, a safe sound. He found himself following that sound over and over and over...

* * *

It was the first faint snore that alerted Jem to what was happening. He looked down to find that Spencer was so relaxed and content in his arms that he had dozed off on him. Literally.

Now _that_ was flattering.

Jem wasn't going to try anything, no matter how tempting that long, lean body was next to his. Know it or not Spencer was part of his 'aiga now, it was his job to protect him, to put the other man's well being over his own. And as much as Jem was tempted to tease him awake and see what kind of consent he could get Spencer needed the rest. Even a fool could tell that.

He did reach down and gently untangled the coffee cup from Spencer's hand before he spilled it, placing in on the table behind the couch. Doing that shifted Spencer's arm and his sleeve rucked up...

Jem lightly ran a thumb over the well-faded scars that were revealed. He wasn't one to talk about self-destruction; he bore his own marks of survival. Seeing them only made him want Spencer as part of his 'aiga that much more.

For now he was warm and safe enough to sleep like that. That was all that mattered.

* * *

 _To: Junior G Man  
From: The Goddess_

 _Sorry to ruin your evening but we have a case._

 _..._

 _To: Junior G Man  
From: The Goddess_

 _We have a case. Answer your phone._

 _..._

 _To: Junior G Man  
From: The Goddess_

 _Why aren't you answering? Where are you?_

 _..._

 _To: Island Boy  
From: The Goddess_

 _Is Reid there with you? He's not answering his phone._

 _..._

 _To: PG (DC)  
From: JT_

 _Yea he is. Does he have to answer? Before you reply look at this:_

 _Attachment:_

 _..._

 _To: Island Boy  
From: The Goddess_

 _Oh my god, he is out isn't he? Oh I hate to do this but we have a case. You need to poke him._

 _..._

 _To: My Eternal Love  
From: The Goddess_

 _Where are you?_

 _..._

 _To: Baby Girl  
From: Morgan_

 _On 50, about to get on 395 south. Why?_

 _..._

 _To: PG (DC)  
From: JT_

 _OK, I'll have him out the door in about 10._

 _..._

 _To: My Eternal Love  
From: The Goddess_

 _Reid's at his friend's house, 1880 N. Nash. I don't think he's up to driving, can you detour and get him?_

 _..._

 _To: Baby Girl  
From: Morgan_

 _Yeah. Tell him to wait outside, I'll be there in 15._

 _..._

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Reid, S_

 _I'm awake, Garcia. What's going on?_

 _..._

 _To: Junior G Man  
From: The Goddess_

 _There you are! We have a case, be in front in 15, Morgan is on his way. You'll be briefed on the plane._

 _..._

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Reid, S_

 _On my way. Thank you._

* * *

Twelve minutes later Spencer was standing in the upstairs elevator lobby. He'd washed his face to wake up, was wearing fresh underwear from his go-bag, had a borrowed tie draped around his neck, and was holding a travel mug full of Jem's good coffee. He was more or less awake. Now he was staring at the elevator lights, with Jem standing next to him. The tension was building once more. There was only one hope for it. Spencer fished a coin out of his pocket. "Heads or tails?" He asked as he flipped it.

In reply Jem leaned over and kissed him.

He tasted of coffee and spices exotic and sweet, and the stubble on his chin scratched in the most enticing way. Spencer thought he might be drowning, and that he could never fall so long as Jem was right here and for a long moment he couldn't think at all.

Then the elevator dinged and the doors opened. "Hoki ki ahau." Jem said. "Go."

Spencer went. I never looked that up, he realized, I don't know what it means, but he could make an educated guess. He took a deep breath and turned as the elevator doors closed. "I love you too."

* * *

1880 Nash Street was some seriously nice digs. Morgan pulled around the circular drive in front of the glass tower and waited.

Less than a minute later a slightly disheveled doctor came out and got in next to him. "You look like you were having a night." He said as he headed back to the highway.

"I was asleep." Spencer replied.

"Before or after?"

"No comment."

Morgan chuckled. "So when are you going to tell me about this girl?"

"I'm not sure."

"All right. All right."

* * *

I love you.

Jem stood there blinking at the elevators for a long moment.

That wasn't what he had said to Spencer when he left. At least that wasn't the literal translation. But, he realized, that was what he _meant_.

Whoa.

He went back inside and over to the kitchen as the realization hit him. He didn't just want Spencer as part of his 'aiga, he was in love with him. It wasn't surprising; he was beautiful, and intelligent and a lot stronger than he looked. What surprised him was how quickly it came on, how hard it hit. Hit by the thunderbolt, as Nonna would say. And he was hit _hard_.

But he couldn't indulge this, not without thinking it out. Not without asking his matai for counsel. Did he dare get involved with Spencer, with Johnny still waiting in the wings? The old man wouldn't live forever after all. But Spencer knew how to handle himself, the BAU had dealt with what they called Unsubs following them home before. And Johnny wasn't...

Or maybe he was thinking ahead of himself here.

Some men indulged in booze to calm their emotions down, some in weed, some settled themselves with their hands down their pants. But some had other vices. Jem went to the freezer and pulled out a pint of Ben and Jerry's, grabbed a spoon, and settled himself at the counter, before pulling out his phone and setting it to speaker. Nine pm in DC is two pm on Savai'i. "Hey, Tama."

"Hey, Jem!" An older male voice replied. "It's not Sunday, you okay?"

"Oh, I'm good. Better than good, actually. I just wanted to talk to you..."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

 **Costco  
2441 Market St NE  
Washington, DC**

Jem started inviting Spencer along on the monthly care package shopping spree. Spencer didn't mind, it was more time to spend with his...his...his... Except. "Tampons?"

"I know." Jem put two cases in the cart. "It's one of the ways their parents used to shame and control the girls, controlling access to hygiene products or constantly inquiring about bodily functions or telling everyone in the family what was going on with the girl's bodies. Most of them ended up just using makeshift solutions so they wouldn't have to bring it up, only to have to endure bullying and teasing at school when those failed."

"That must have been a nightmare." Spencer shuddered. "At least the boys didn't..." No, wait.

"Yeah, wet dreams were an issue for the boys. Can't do much there but at least the girls don't have to beg. I make sure they have enough in their spending accounts but I've been told it helps to have some on hand, no comments made or questions asked."

"Okay then. What about other, um, personal items?" He looked over at a case by the pharmacy.

Jem tracked his eyes and chuckled. "If there was one thing I learned catting around south of Market in college it was to invest in the best quality condoms and lube you can. I order better quality stuff in bulk. For them! For them!" He said as Spencer started to chuckle.

"Spencer!" A familiar little voice called out.

Spencer turned just in time for a certain five year old to throw himself into his arms. "Hey Henry! What are you doing here?"

"Shopping with Mommy." He peered around Spencer and up at Jem. "Are you Thor?"

"No, this is my friend Jem. Jem, this is my Godson, Henry."

"Nice to meet you Henry." Jem said with a wide smile. "I always thought I looked more like Aquaman." He struck a pose using a broom as a trident.

"And this is his mom, JJ Jareau." He said, nodding to the woman walking up. "JJ, this is Jem Taimana."

"Oh! You're Jem. Nice to finally meet you." JJ said with a beaming smile. "Is Penelope around?"

"Nope." Spencer said. And he waited.

You could see the gears turning, could watch the realization chase over JJ's face. "I'm an idiot." She said finally.

Spencer's poker face failed him. He started laughing. "It's only taken you, what, five months? I'm not certain of the exact starting date."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Derek knows I've been seeing someone on your team." Jem said.

"And I've been saying I've been seeing someone." Spencer added.

"And Penelope has been insisting she hasn't been dating Jem. Of course. Now I see it. I owe Emily ice cream."

"Please don't tell her yet." Spencer said. "I haven't said anything to Hotch, although I probably should."

"I don't know if you're supposed to formally tell him. Not that he'll care. Oh god, this was why it was so bad with Austen, wasn't it? I mean Lila is, well, Lila, but..."

"Yeah, very likely. We are okay, right?"

"Of course we are. We love you." The rest of it hit her. "Morgan still hasn't figured it out has he?" Spencer shook his head. JJ grinned. "Which way are you two heading next?"

Jem consulted his list. "Laundry soap."

"I need to get that too." They pointed their carts in that direction. "So, you're in Org. Crime?" She asked Jem.

* * *

"You know what's nice?" Jem said as they loaded his SUV.

"What?" Spencer replied.

"That your team is your 'aiga, your family. It's got to be nice having them at your back like that."

"You're not close to your team?"

"No." For a moment there was something distant and cold and a little afraid in Jem's eyes. "No."

* * *

 **1881 North Nash Street  
Unit 2503**  
 **Arlington** , **VA**

Of course now their dates tended to include rather lengthily make out secessions, when not interrupted by ringing phones. Spencer had no reason to complain about this, he was savoring every moment of every visit. But he couldn't understand why they never went any further.

Unless Jem was waiting for him to make the first move. That was something he would do.

So one night, when they were coming back from a play, when they were both completely sober and just happy, Spencer stopped on the way in and said. "I'd really like to see your tattoo."

Jem stopped and slowly turned and looked at him. "You do know what you're asking, right?"

Spencer nodded and feigned a little innocence. "Yeah, I do."

It had been a long time. If pressed Spencer would admit that his first relationship had been all about sex, he'd been eighteen and full of curiosity and hormones at the time, and for the not quite a year that it lasted it had satisfied those needs nicely. But there hadn't been much of anything else in that relationship, no true support or companionship or anything resembling romance. In the end he realized that sex just wasn't enough, and had instead entered a relationship with someone he had loved, someone he considered a friend and companion. The only problem with that second relationship was that things weren't all that great in the bedroom. They were highly compatible everywhere else, so to Spencer's mind it had been worth it to have to fake it more often than not. His love had been happy and content and that was enough, or at least he'd convinced himself of that at the time. Upon reflection he'd come to understand that it wouldn't have been enough in the end.

Now he loved Jem, and he respected him, and he considered him a friend and a true companion. The only thing left to settle was what would happen in the bedroom. So it was very gratifying when Jem pushed him up against the wall and kissed him until he couldn't breathe. "Yes?" Jem asked in his ear.

"Yes." Yes, I need this. I'd forgotten how good this could be. Take this from me, please. "Yes, _please_ yes."

"Yes." Jem pressed him against the wall so firmly he couldn't fall if he wanted and kissed him until his head spun. Spencer was shocked, almost embarrassed, over how quickly he got _that_ hard, until he realized that Jem was too, and that the larger man was already getting his shirt out of his pants. He did the same, wanting to feel warm skin and all that hard muscle. He had just enough time to do that, to get his hands under Jem's shirt and over the warm skin of his back which was silken smooth and then not and what was he feeling exactly before the inevitable happened. "Is that your phone or my phone?" Jem asked.

Spencer very rarely cursed. Foul language was indicative of a limited vocabulary after all. But sometimes... "Goddammn it!"

"A case?"

Spencer groaned and bounced his head off the bricks behind him a few times.

Jem tucked his hand behind his head to stop him. He reached into the drawer on the table by the door and pulled out a key card. "Come back here when you're done." He said in a voice that was just insistent enough to make Spencer's knees very weak. Oh this could be _good_. "No matter what time or where I am. Yes?" He slid the key to his apartment into Spencer's pocket.

In reply Spencer kissed him again before heading out the door.

* * *

"You look like you got interrupted." Morgan said on the elevator.

"I was." Spencer muttered. He was already personally irritated with this Unsub, and he hadn't even heard the case yet.

Morgan chuckled. "Oh man, finally that close to the promised land..."

Spencer turned to him. "For the record I am not a virgin. I lost my virginity before I ever joined the Bureau."

Morgan laughed and gestured that he was backing off. "Okay. Okay." He may tease but it was never with malice. "But I know you haven't had a girl around this long since you joined up and you are not the one night stand type. So how close were you to ending that, what, ten year dry spell?"

It had been ten years. No, twelve since... okay, he already hated this Unsub and they hadn't even seen the case file. "Shut up."

Morgan chuckled all the way to the conference room.

* * *

"I never could do that." Rossi said.

"Do what?" Blake asked

"Take a nap. It never felt natural."

It was nearly 10 am, they'd been working the case all night, and Spencer needed some wind down time. So he stretched out on the top of a desk, took a deep breath, let it out, and let his body go boneless for a while. One of the few good things he'd learned back in his wild days, how to control his body. "I'm actually wide awake." He replied. "But for future reference polyphasic sleep is completely natural, quite common in the animal world and highly beneficial."

"Of course it is." Rossi agreed before turning away.

Blake got up to head to the coffee pot. "Then why aren't you asleep?" She asked as she wandered by. When he didn't even twitch he felt her touch the sleeve of his shirt and lift his arm slightly. She admired the way his hand dangled and then let go and watched it drop back down, completely boneless. "I wish I could do that." She said.

"It does help on the long cases." He said. He took a deep breath, felt his body wake up again, and slowly sat up, letting his blood flow sort itself.

"If this case goes any longer you'll have time to teach me."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Sooner or later all cases end.

* * *

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S_

 _Where are you?_

 _..._

 _To: SR  
From: JT_

 _At the gym. Where are you?_

 _..._

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S_

 _Heading to your place. Mind if I use your shower?_

 _..._

 _To: SR  
From: JT_

 _Go right ahead. I'll meet you there._

 _..._

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S_

 _In the shower?_

 _..._

 _To: SR  
From: JT_

 _Or the bed. Your choice._

* * *

 **1881 North Nash Street  
Unit 2503**  
 **Arlington,** **VA**

So this was going to happen.

It was with happy anticipation that Spencer let himself into the now familiar space. He hadn't actually been in Jem's bedroom before though. Just going down the hall left his heart pounding.

It was a comfortable space, as rustic as the rest of the apartment, worn rugs, good lighting, and a black pipe four-poster bed with interesting dimensions. There was no artwork above it. It was an empty space that wanted to be filled.

The tub was enticingly wide, easily big enough for two if one was quite slender. But the shower was a work of art. It could blast you from every side, or fall in a gentle rain. He went for a normal shower in one corner of the large space, entirely conscious of being very naked, and listening at every moment for the door. But he couldn't tell if he wanted to be walked in on or not. After all the thought of falling rain and...

It was a good thing his pajama pants were loose.

* * *

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S_

 _Do you mind tea in the bedroom?_

 _..._

 _To: SR  
From: JT_

 _Not at all._

* * *

Spencer was settled on what was clearly the unoccupied side of the bed with a case file and a mug of tea when Jem came home. It was a ridiculously comfortable bed. "How did you find a bed like this?" Spencer asked.

"It's a Western King. The longest you can get but not as wide as the standard Eastern King. I like being able to stretch out."

Spencer nodded. "I agree." He was a little nervous. Jem seemed almost too ordinary, too calm. This was going to happen, wasn't it?

"I'm going to go take a shower." Jem said.

Hopefully it was going to happen. Spencer stayed there, stretched out and comfortable and trying not to second guess himself as he heard the shower go on and then off. And then after a few moments. "Do you want to see my tattoo?"

If nothing else his curiosity was going to be sated tonight. Spencer got up from the bed and padded into the bathroom, only to feel all the air go out of his lungs.

It was _amazing_.

Jem was facing the sink, away from him. From here Spencer could see the delicate, intricate design that covered him from his knees to the middle of his back. It lined his inner thighs, ran up the backs in an angular design bordered by an almost lacy band that traced the edge where his thighs met his buttocks. Those were covered with thinner lines that traced over hard muscle, terminating in the center cleft that was entirely dark. There were chevrons of patterns that spoke of waves over it, flowing over the small of his back, leading up to what might be a canoe right about level with his kidneys. It was the most amazing thing. Spencer stopped himself when he realized he was reaching out to touch...

"It's okay. You can." Jem said quietly.

Spencer's eyes were wide with wonder as he gently ran his hand over those hard planes of muscle. That was the texture change he had felt earlier, the inked area were very slightly rough. "This isn't a tattoo." He said.

"It was done in the traditional way." Jem replied. "They use modern ink these days, for safety, but the design is tapped into the skin using serrated tools."

And the tools had left very fine scars behind. Jem turned slightly into Spencer's touch, revealing that the long ends of the canoe stretched up to his ribs. There was some delicate tracing around his naval, and the curving waves of the ocean wrapped around his hips and terminated in what might be a stylized beach that covered the top of his pubic triangle. Large swaths of black covered the outside of his thighs, from there more lines stretched up to the beach, perhaps a stylized ocean, and wrapped around his...Spencer swallowed. He'd been with exactly three men in his life, he already knew this was going to be a challenge.

Then Jem wrapped one hand around the back of his neck, and kissed him, and all thoughts flew right out of his head.

Spencer felt himself being half propelled, half carried back to the bed and felt this huge, warm presence over him as his mouth was devoured. And every inch of him cried out a yes.

* * *

.

* * *

If you want to see what a pe'a tattoo looks like Google "greg samu tattoo". Be prepared for PG13-rated NSFW pictures.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

 **1881 North Nash Street  
Unit 2503**  
 **Arlington,** **VA**

So that happened.

After the first unbearable need had been satisfied Jem started the fireplace. It was almost too warm outside for it, but it made the bedroom warm enough to sprawl comfortably over the sheets, no clothing needed. "So what do these mean?"

"Those are the saemutu. They denote rank. Most have two, orators have three, matai have four."

"Which means more work, and more pain to endure." Spencer gently traced one of the four designs. "And these?" He traced lower.

"The aso e lua. Traditionally there are only two lines but there is some leeway for artistry and I earned this ass." Jem said with a chuckle.

"I can see that." Those parallel lines did set off the curves of muscle underneath nicely. "And this?"

"The aso taatiltu." Jem hissed at the touch in a delicate spot.

Spencer smiled a little at that, but was distracted by the extent of the coverage. "They even cover the perineum?" He asked, sliding his fingers over the darkness, and pressing on a spot that brought a groan.

"Yeah, they cover everything." Jem rolled, revealing what the delicate touches had done to him. "In some cases they even do your penis and scrotum, but that wasn't required, and my desire to prove myself only went so far."

A shared laugh was a good one. "How long did it take?"

"Ten days. All day sessions. Proof that you have the bravery, courage and endurance to be a leader."

"I'll say." Spencer looked at what he'd done and raised an eyebrow.

"Just leave that for now." Jem replied with a wicked smile.

Right. Spencer caught Jem's wrist and held it lightly. _"The_ first and most literal meaning of the lotus in Buddhism is rising and blooming above the murk of life to achieve enlightenment." He said, tracing the root of the design which wove itself over the scar."

"Yes, it is." Jem agreed. Now it was his turn to catch Spencer's wrist and turn it over. "What does this mean?"

It was a very small thing. It usually stayed well hidden under Spencer's watch. And even when it was not you'd have to look closely to not mistake it for a birthmark. But it wasn't. It was a button, a tiny tattoo of a sewing button. The kind you might find on a rag doll. "A remnant of college. How familiar are you with BDSM culture?"

"I was a newly out gay kid in San Francisco with something to prove." Jem replied. "You can find anything south of Market; it's the center of the BDSM universe. Why?"

"Ever hear of doll play?"

Jem had. He sat up a little and looked at Spencer with surprise in his eyes. "You're kidding." In response Spencer took a deep breath and went boneless against him. Jem jostled him lightly, feeling him flop against the bed. "Oh, this could be fun."

"I always thought so." Spencer replied. "I don't do restraints anymore though."

"Good, I never liked the idea of them." Jem gently tumbled him onto his back. Spencer laughed; it always felt so silly to be tumbled about in play. "There is something kind of naughty about having your own life sized doll to play with. So you're not going to move for a while?"

"I hadn't planned on it." His skin was already tingling. Part of the fun was not knowing what your partner was going to do to. Anticipation heightened _everything_.

"Good."

Spencer was focused on staying very, very relaxed, but he couldn't stop his muscles twitching at the feel of the brush of Jem's beard on his abdomen. "That tickles." He said with a laugh.

"Sorry." No he wasn't. "What about here?" Jem kissed him lower. "Or here?" He kissed lower still.

Spencer gasped. "You know I've, uhhh, only ever been on the, um, _giving_ side of this."

Jem laughed. "Even better."

Spencer sighed, and smiled.

* * *

So that happened.

After mapping all the ink on their bodies they moved on to scars. "What happened there?" Spencer asked as he gently the scar that ran through Jem's eyebrow.

"My older brother hit me in the face with a bottle." He replied. "Lucky he didn't blind me. What about here?" He asked, smoothing a hand over a rough spot on the back of Spencer's thigh.

"Randall Gardiner." Spencer replied. He wasn't playing boneless anymore, but he was still very relaxed. "He thought he was the Fisher King, thought I was Percival and could heal his psychic wound. When I couldn't he set off his suicide vest. It was only a shallow second degree burn. Hurt a lot though. What about this?" He traced a small scar leading up from Jem's navel.

Jem looked it over. "I was kind of...no, no kind of; I was a fat kid in high school. I got my act together in college, decided I deserved better for myself, but not before sacrificing my gall bladder to the gods of fast food. I ended up having a laparoscopic removal. What about there?" He ran a finger over a scar on Spencer's knee.

"Patrick Meyer. He was a spree killer, he thought a doctor had killed his son, or at least allowed him to die. I got between them and he shot me in the knee. I spent nine months on crutches."

"Your team does watch out for you, right?"

Spencer chuckled. "Yeah. We average an injury rate three times higher than any other FBI unit. It has to do with the unpredictable nature of our subjects." He caught Jem's wrist again, and traced the scar under the lotus. "What about that one?"

Jem went quiet, looked at his wrist in Spencer's hand for a long moment. "I didn't have a way out." He said quietly. "I was eighteen and I'd been accepted to Berkley but I didn't have the money and my stepfather..." He took a deep breath, sighed, "My sister found me. She saved my life."

That had been a serious attempt, Spencer realized. He'd missed the radial artery by millimeters. "I'm glad she did."

"She went to my grandmother after. Nonna was the only one who could ever stand up to my stepfather. She put me through college over his objections."

"That's why the kids trust you." Spencer realized it now. The profiler in him made the connections between the kids he worked with and his personal story. "Your stepfather's was..." But Jem was what he was today, a damn good agent and a dammed good friend.

"Is. But I left that boy behind a long time ago."

"I know." Now it was Jem's turn. He gently turned Spencer's arm, revealing the nest of scars inside his elbow. Spencer looked at them and sighed. "Tobias Hankle."

* * *

Later there was pain. Expected pain, desired pain, pain he had missed for so long, but pain nonetheless. And Spencer felt like he was drowning and being saved and as safe as he'd ever been, even when he thought he just couldn't take...

He groaned as the pain became the ultimate pleasure.

"I love you." Jem whispered against his cheek.

Spencer couldn't answer. The way he relaxed, the trust there, answered for him.

And that happened too.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 **1881 North Nash Street  
Unit 2503**  
 **Arlington,** **VA**

"What time is it?" Spencer muttered.

"Eight." Jem replied.

"What day is it?"

"Sunday. You don't have to get up yet."

"Mmmm."

* * *

Spencer woke to find himself pressed up against Jem's flank, his arms around the larger man's waist. Jem was sitting up in bed, resting against a pile of pillows, sipping coffee and reading. "'Morning sleepyhead."

He hadn't had any nightmares, Spencer realized. He slept the whole night through. "'Morning. What time is it?"

"About 10:30."

"God." There was sleeping in and then there was this. Spencer rolled and stretched and sat up slowly. He heard nibbling, noted that Jem was eating something from a jar. "Food in bed okay?"

"On Sundays. Eventually I'll wash the sheets today. There's coffee."

Thank heaven. Spencer found his glasses, staggered out of bed. "Don't look." He said.

Jem chuckled. "Okay."

Spencer made his way to the bathroom, did what wanted doing, got some cold water on his face, raked his fingers through his hair, dug a pair of boxers out of his bag, realized the ones he had were all Cat in the Hat patterned, pulled on an embroidered silk bathrobe he'd inherited from some relative, and started the zombie walk to the coffee pot. Of course Jem looked when he came out of the bathroom. "Do you have any idea how sexy you are?" He asked.

Spencer looked at him for a long moment. "Delusional." He said, and continued shuffling. But when he got to the kitchen he woke up the rest of the way. "I thought these were for the kids?"

"I picked up an extra box. You said you liked them."

Spencer grinned, poured his coffee, and looked over the packages of sugary breakfast cereal. "Do you want me to leave you any of these?"

"Nope, I'll stick with my oatmeal, thanks."

All right then. Spencer picked one, added milk, and went back to the bedroom. There was a basket of books under Jem's nightstand that looked enticing. "May I?"

"Help yourself."

Book chosen Spencer climbed back into bed, resting against the pillows with a comfortable sigh. "Do we have anything planned for today other than washing sheets?"

"I need to do some cooking for the week this afternoon." Jem said. "You?"

"I should go home for some clothes."

"Okay, simple question, nothing implied, no pressure, but why are you keeping your clothes downtown?"

It was a simple question, but that wasn't what Jem was asking. They had been going out for almost nine months now, he was happiest when he was staying here, even when he went out to do his own thing. Hell, for the past two...three?...months he'd been going home, re-packing his go bag, and getting right back on the metro to come here. And he _hated_ his apartment. Spencer looked up at the empty space above the bed. "I have the perfect poster to go there." He said.

* * *

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: JT_

 _OK, anyone who can be in the DC area on the 10_ _th_ _speak up. I need movers. Will be paid in pizza._

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: SW (GW)_

 _You are not moving out, are you?!_

 _..._

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: JT_

 _No. Spencer is moving in._

* * *

 **Capitol Plaza Apartments  
#23  
Washington DC**

"Okay baby girl, let's get with the moving." Morgan said as Garcia opened the door. He looked around at the familiar, funky apartment. "You haven't even started!"

"I'm not moving." Garcia replied as she crowded him out the door.

"Ohhhh, I get it, Jem is moving in with you." Morgan nodded. "You gonna have room for him in there?"

Garcia laughed. "Go get in the car."

They drove downtown in Morgan's SUV. The building was an older one, not in a particularly bad neighborhood, just right downtown, so perhaps not the best at night. They went to head up the stairs to the second floor, only to find Jem and three very large Polynesian guys bringing an enormous leather couch down. "You better have some good beer for this Uso." One of the guys said without heat.

"I had no idea this was such a monster." Jem replied as the dragged the beast out to a waiting moving van.

"How could you not know the weight of your own couch?" Morgan asked when they came back.

"That's not my couch." Jem replied.

"Isn't this your place?"

"No, we're moving _to_ my place."

Morgan and Garcia followed him into the apartment. "Okay, if we're moving to your place and baby girl here is not moving then who..." Morgan looked over at where Spencer was just packing up a box of books.

Morgan looked at Spencer, who smiled.

He looked at Jem, who nodded.

He looked at Garcia, who snapped a picture of his face with her phone. "I am so sending this to Emily." She said.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Morgan said.

"Okay, you are not going to make a thing of this." JJ said as she sent what looked like a couple of college kids on their way down with bundles of clothing.

"Of course not! But I thought Jem was dating Penelope!"

"I told you I wasn't." Garcia said.

"And I said I was dating one of your teammates." Jem replied.

"And I have been saying I've been dating someone." Spencer added.

Morgan looked at the three of them again. "You mean to tell me I have been missing this for nine months!"

"And you call yourself a profiler." Alex said as she sailed by with a record player in her arms.

"Is that what you're so upset about?" Garcia asked. "You got the profile wrong?"

"Oh come on!" Morgan said. But he was admitting it. And he was grinning.

They all laughed with him.

* * *

 _To: Garcia, P  
From: Prentiss, E_

 _I just laughed my mascara off._

* * *

"Okay, tell me one thing." Morgan said, while he and Spencer were packing his truck. "Lila?"

"Lila is...Lila." Spencer said. He firmly believed that. "I lean towards men but women are still beautiful and she was wearing a bikini."

"Yeah, I get that. Okay, what about that bartender?"

"First time I ever really tried it with a woman? That experience cleared up a lot."

"Okay, I can get that. How come you never said anything?"

Spencer lifted his last box in and stopped. "Honestly, back when I first joined the Bureau, would you have been as comfortable with it as you are now?"

"Honestly?" Morgan had to think about it. "Yeah, you have a point. Did anyone know?"

"Gideon. I was more or less married to a relative of his for a while, that was how we met."

"Married? Jesus, you just never share, do you?"

"That level of commitment, yeah." Spencer considered this. "Maybe I should. Are we okay?"

Morgan stopped for a minute. "I am going to tell you the same thing I told my baby girl. He's one of the good guys, and you deserve to be happy. Are you?"

"Very much so."

"Then that's what matters." Serious moment over. "Although I am glad you ended up with someone we can hang out with."

"That's true." They turned to go back up for more boxes. "You know you're next, right?"

Morgan took a deep breath. "Yeah, well, I'm thinking of taking my neighbor out for a second dinner this week."

Spencer stopped in the hallway. "Derek Morgan on a second date?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Stop. You didn't tell me, have you told Hotch yet?"

* * *

 **BAU Headquarters  
FBI building  
Quantico, VA**

At some point Spencer was going to have to tell Hotch.

The problem was that the laws and regulations were in flux, no one was sure if he should tell him officially. Which meant he had to find a way that could not be interpreted as in any way official. And if it was he was going to have to deal with the fallout. Which was why Jem had come up from his office three floors down, for moral support if nothing else. "How do I tell him?" Spencer asked.

"You can't just tell him." JJ said. They were clustered around the break table, trying to brainstorm this.

"Why not?" Morgan said. "It's Hotch."

"Yeah, but we don't want this to be something he has to pass on to, say, Strauss. I mean she is just looking for an excuse."

"Oh this is silly!" Blake said. She peeled off from the group and went down the hall to intercept Hotch. "Spencer needs to tell you something. Unofficially."

"That he's gay?" Hotch asked without breaking stride. He walked through the group, leaving Alex standing there with her jaw on the floor, and stopped to fill his coffee mug. "I'm Aaron Hotchner. You're Jem, right? Org. Crime?"

Jem accepted the hand offered. "Duhhhh."

"Everyone calls me Hotch. Nice to meet you. Hope to see you at the BBQ on Saturday." With that Hotch turned and headed back toward his office.

Alex stopped him. "How?"

"Gideon told me, back when we recruited him."

"As I understand he wasn't exactly certain at that point."

"Gideon was."

Well, that was that then. "That was too easy." JJ said as the group started to break up.

Except there was one more. "What did I miss?" Rossi asked.

"Oh, right. Sorry." JJ said. "This is Reid's...friend, Jem, from Org. Crime. This is Dave Rossi."

"Our resident Godfather." Morgan said.

"Pleasure to meet you." Jem said with his easy, open smile.

But it was met with something very cold and reserved. "Pleasure. Excuse me." Rossi nodded and went back to his office with his empty cup.

"Ouch." Garcia said as they watched him walk away.

"It's all right man." Morgan said. "Rossi's old school, just give him some time."

"I hope so." Spencer said. But there was nothing to be done for it now, he walked with Jem to the elevators, and then went back to work.

* * *

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Rossi, D_

 _You know, you look like your mother._

 _..._

 _To: Rossi, D  
From: Taimana, J_

 _I've been told I have her eyes._

 _..._

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Rossi, D_

 _Her smile too. My condolences._

 _I doubt you remember me. I believe you were nine the last time we met._

 _..._

 _To: Rossi, D  
From: Taimana, J_

 _No, but I remember meeting FBI agents at that age. That's what led me here._

 _..._

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Rossi, D_

 _Good to know._

 _I don't want Reid to get hurt._

 _..._

 _To: Rossi, D  
From: Taimana, J_

 _We have the same goal there._

 _..._

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Rossi, D_

 _Hard goal to manage, for someone playing such a dangerous game._

 _..._

 _To: Rossi, D  
From: Taimana, J_

 _I'm sending a file up to your office. The Director has a copy. My Unit Chief does not. I'm sure you understand. Use it if you feel the need._

 _..._

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Rossi, D_

 _That's a lot of trust for someone you just met._

 _..._

 _To: Rossi, D  
From: Taimana, J_

 _Spencer trusts you. You're family. That's good enough for me._

 _..._

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Rossi, D_

 _See you at the BBQ on Saturday. It's at my place._

 _..._

 _To: Rossi, D  
From: Taimana, J_

 _Thank you. I'm looking forward to getting to know you all better._

 _..._

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Rossi, D_

 _So am I._


	19. Chapter 19

_Part 2_

 _We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude._

 _\- Charles R. Swindoll_

* * *

 **Chapter 19**

 **1881 North Nash Street  
Unit 2503**  
 **Arlington,** **VA**

Good morning Monday. "Okay, you're right about the whole healthy breakfast thing." Spencer said scraping the last bit off his plate. Jem had cooked breakfast, thanks to his unit not having the same office hours as the BAU. "It has helped me focus at work. And it is delicious."

"See." Jem replied with a grin. "Now we just have to get you into the gym."

"Without a panic attack."

Of course as soon as Jem got his hands both dirty and busy his phone went off. And someone was _calling_ , not texting, which was highly unusual. "Gahh, does it say who it is?"

Jem had a code, person's initials and then location. "SD in SF."

Jem's back was to him but Spencer could see the tension. "Damn it, I need to..."

Without thinking Spencer answered for home. "This is Jem's phone."

There was silence on the end of the line. "Is he there?" A woman asked.

"He'll be free in a moment."

She had a slight accent that might be east coast somewhere, and a voice that was used to command. "Tell him it's Stella. It's important."

"Stella, it's important." He said to Jem.

"I know." Jem had his hands clean now, and he took the phone back. "Hey Stel." _Work_. He mouthed to Spencer. "Just a friend. Why are you calling this early?"

Work. Org Crime cases were not BAU cases. If Org Crime wanted the BAU involved Jem's unit chief would call Hotch. This was why they didn't talk about work. Jem's brothers and sisters didn't count; by the time they came home the case was closed. And besides, they were family. _Love you._ Spencer mouthed as he headed out the door.

* * *

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S_

 _FYI we have a case._

 _..._

 _From: JT  
To: SR _

_That's okay, looks like we have one too. I might not be home the rest of the week._

* * *

 **BAU Headquarters  
FBI Building  
Quantico, VA**

"Cast your eyes in the direction of the Denver Metroplex." Garcia said one charmless Monday morning. "There is a very sick puppy wandering around the Rockies."

"Four victims." Hotch said as pictures started appearing on the board. "Casey Geller, 20, Michael Feeny, 19, Tracy Kentner, 21, and Ronald Saito, 21." They all looked so young, so fresh up there. And then the bodies. "The first two were found in Aspen three weeks ago, the second pair in Boulder yesterday. They called us last night."

"Why did they call us?" Blake asked.

"Because of the commonalities they found with the bodies." Hotch changed pictures and got everyone's attention.

Their eyes were solid _black_.

"Blackout contact lenses?" Spencer asked.

"Yes. Left in too long, the coroner said that had the victims survived they would have had serious corneal damage."

"So he blinded them but he wanted to see their faces, their expressions." Blake said.

"Cause of death?" JJ asked

"Dehydration, but they were unable to determine how long it took them to dehydrate."

"Depending on the amount of fluids given per day, anywhere from none to an inadequate amount it can take three to twelve days to die." Spencer replied.

"Torture?" Morgan asked.

"Death by dehydration is actually notably painless and peaceful. Once the nausea, headaches and leg cramps pass, usually within the first thirty-six hours dizziness, tiredness and delirium are the most common non-urinary symptoms."

"Great."

"Did they also lose weight?" JJ asked.

Hotch nodded. "He wasn't feeding them either. The local LEO's indicated that he may have redressed them before disposing of them."

"Any pattern to the disposal sites?" Rossi asked.

"Areas used for trash collection, one by a dumpster, another in a trash pile at a construction site..."

"He's throwing them out with the trash." Blake said. "They're nothing to him now. Death is not the point of this."

"But I'm not sure the torture is either." Rossi said. "It could be the side effect of another activity, he gets so wrapped up in what he's doing to them he forgets to give them food and water."

"Rape kits did come back positive." Hotch said. "No DNA samples, he must have used condoms."

"He raped the men and the women?" Morgan asked.

"Yes."

"That's unusual."

"If it could take them up to twelve days to die he's already hunting his next pair." Rossi said. "You said commonalities, plural."

"Yes, they were each wearing something else unusual." Hotch switched to pictures of metal bars and leather straps...

Spencer met Alex's eyes across the table as fear suddenly curled in his belly. She gave the tiniest nods. "They're doll rigs." She said.

"Doll rigs?" Morgan asked.

"It's a form of BDSM play. The submissive partner is literally turned into a living doll, usually through make-up, costume and behavior. Don't move from the position I put you in, and so on. These rigs are a more advanced version that allows that to play out; they immobilize the submissive partner while allowing the dominant partner to position them at will."

"Is that safe?" JJ asked

"It can be." Alex replied. "Or as safe as any BDSM practice. Careful supervision, only for a short time, it's usually harmless play. Figuring in the dehydration, he kept them locked in them for days on end."

"Jesus." Morgan shook his head.

"Wheels up in thirty." Hotch said.

But as the conference room cleared out Spencer stepped up to him. "Actually. Hotch, can we take a little more time?"

"We can." Hotch said. "Why?"

Spencer took a deep breath.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later Jem strode into the BAU elevator lobby carrying a battered suitcase along with his own go gear. "Do I want to know the details?" He asked.

"Likely not right now." Spencer replied. He didn't even know why he'd kept that case. It had been buried in the storage unit at his old place, ended up buried in the new one... "I'll tell you when I get back."

"You already look like this is a tough case."

"It already is."

Jem considered for a moment. "What kind of ice cream do you want?"

"Anything unusual that will go well with chocolate cake." Yeah, it was that bad.

"Got it." Jem wouldn't kiss him here, but he didn't have to. "Be careful out there. Hoki ki ahau."

"I will." Spencer grinned at him. "You too."

Jem grinned back. "Always."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 **FBI field office  
Denver, CO**

It wasn't had to find the local dungeon mistress. As it turned out there was a large population in the area of people who enjoyed that sort of thing. "That means a large victim pool." Alex said.

"So how exactly does this thing work?" Morgan asked, eyeballing the contraption they had borrowed from said dungeon.

"They're usually custom made." Alex replied. "This is a fairly small one." Which meant the only person it would fit was JJ. She'd changed into a tank top and bike shorts and pulled her hair into a pony tail for the occasion. At Spencer and Alex's bidding she sat on the edge of the conference table and they started buckling her in. "They're usually worn under clothing. Slide your hand in here." She indicated one of the attached leather gloves.

"How heavy are they?" Hotch asked.

"Not very." Spencer replied. Hotch had agreed not to tell the entire team about the experiments he'd tried in college unless it was absolutely necessary. Everyone else just assumed he knew everything. "Lighter than you would think." While Alex started at the top he started at the bottom, buckling the restraints around JJ's feet and legs.

It didn't take long. "Okay, get up and walk around." Alex said.

JJ did so. "Okay, it feels really weird." She said. The restraints kept her back very straight and made her movements stiff and perhaps doll-like, but she still had mostly free range of motion. "But with my hands like this I can't get out of it." The mittens had the fingers sewn together, and were stiff so she couldn't bend her hands at all.

"That's what it's like when it's unlocked. Okay, sit down again and put your arms at your sides." Alex said. JJ sat back on the edge of the table. "This is what happens when it's locked." She twisted the knob on the back of JJ's neck, which did something to the lengths of cable threaded through the frame.

JJ immediately twitched, and twitched, and twitched harder. After a few moments she gave it up. "I can't move." She admitted.

"Not unless someone moves you." Spencer said. He gently took her forearm, pressed the button that would release the lock over her elbow, and bent her arm to ninety degrees. When he released the lock it stayed there.

She fought against the lock for a moment, but it was no use. "I'm trying to decide why someone would do this."

"A lot of it is about the lack of responsibility." Alex said. "You have work all day and family and bills to pay and all of that stress and then for a few hours there's nothing. No one expects a doll to do anything but sit there and look pretty. It can be a great way to relax."

"And a big part of it is sexual." Spencer added. He straightened JJ's elbow then lifted her arm so it was pointed straight up. He did the same with her other arm. Then he used his knee on one side and managed to pop the buttons on both sides of her hips and lay her back down on the table.

"Sexual?" She asked

"If Will was the only one here? Think about which joints have which locks."

"And what furniture you have in your house." Alex said.

JJ thought for a moment and then blushed. "Ooooookay, I can see your point. Get me out of this thing."

As Spencer started unbuckling her the others were looking at the file. "Do the contacts go along with this sort of play?" Morgan asked.

"No." Alex replied. "But it wouldn't be hard to put them in once the victim is immobilized."

"You can't move, you can't see, you can't get out of it." Rossi nodded. "Add in some kind of gag and the Unsub could keep them anywhere. He'd have to be strong enough to lift and manipulate them through. And patient, he's with them a while."

"Okay, there's no way I could get myself into this." JJ said from the table. "Someone had to put them into it."

"Yeah, the Unsub." Morgan replied.

"It's not likely that they would go in willingly with someone they just met." Rossi replied. "And these murders are happening too close together for any real grooming to happen."

"So what are we saying?" Alex said. "That the Unsub just happened to know when they were rigged up and that was when he kidnapped them?"

"Or a partner brought them over to his house to play." Spencer replied. "The immobilized victims would have thought they were safe with their regular partner there."

"Then what happened to the partners?" Rossi asked.

Hotch dialed up Garcia.

* * *

Sure enough, they had four more bodies. All had died of the sort of poisoning you get if you get left in the garage with the car running. "So he waits until the submissive partner is in the rig," Morgan said, "Somehow brings them out to the garage and leaves the car running. Now he has full control over the doll. But why two at a time?"

"Maybe he sets it up as a party?" Alex suggested.

"He wouldn't be able to overcome two free partners at once." Spencer replied.

"We need more information." Hotch said.

* * *

They went out to interview anyone the victims might be close to. The four younger victims, the dolls, all came from the same story, they went out to a party the night they disappeared. They were looking forward to having a good time. "Did they actually go to a party?" Rossi asked.

As it turned out there had been parties on the nights they disappeared. Multiple witnesses had seen them there, with their usual partners, and had seen them leaving in their partner's vehicles. "This is sounding more and more like the Unsub invited them over to play." Alex said.

Someone from Boulder, though, had something interesting to tell them. "Joe wanted Becky and I to go party with him and Casey." A witness said. "But I wasn't feeling it."

"Why not?" Morgan asked.

"He just seemed...I don't know, off. Nervous. He said he's had a bad day at work, but it felt like more than that. I didn't want to get Becky in any trouble so I decided to hang out at the play space instead."

"Huh."

As it turned out two of the non-doll players were married. And their wives did _not_ know. "I think I'm seeing a pattern." Alex said. "Let me play with your doll with or else I'll tell your wife, your boss, your someone?"

"Could be." Rossi replied. "But the victims didn't want to make their partners do that so they talked someone else into bringing theirs for the party. The Unsub would have overcome the second partner, and told the first they were good. Then as soon as he relaxed the Unsub would overwhelm the first as well."

"And now the Unsub has two dolls to play with." JJ nodded. "Slick. But how do we flush him out?"

"We talk to the local group leaders." Rossi said. "See if they've heard any rumors about anyone into doll play suddenly looking for new people to hook up with. Or anyone acting unusual. It's a small community, someone will know something. And then we set a trap."

Once again Spencer met Alex's eyes. And he sighed.

* * *

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S_

 _Add cheesecake to the shopping list, please._

 _..._

 _From: JT  
To: SR _

_I thought I was the one with a problem with sugar. That bad of a case?_

 _..._

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S_

 _It's about to be._


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

 **FBI field office  
Denver, CO**

"I don't even know why I kept this thing." Spencer grumbled.

In the end he had to tell them the whole story. Well, not the whole story, only up until the part where he told Professor Marcus and his friend what to go do with themselves. Thankfully his friends didn't give him too much of a hard time about it. Rossi had groaned and agreed with Alex that it had been stupid risky and they were glad he was still alive to tell about it. JJ and Morgan had laughed. Hotch didn't say anything, but everyone got the sense that he was agreeing with Alex as well. Now Morgan was with him in the locker room helping him get dressed, starting with his old rig... "I don't know either, but right now I'm glad you did." Morgan said. "Granted I don't think anyone has ever gone undercover looking this stupid."

"Tell me about it. This was the only costume they had that even remotely fit me." It was a rag doll outfit, a shirt with a peter pan collar and drop front pants. Thankfully Morgan had not picked up on the implications of that. Spencer stood up, feeling the rig restricting his movements, making everything feel a little stiff, a little slow. "Ugh, I hate this thing."

"You know you should really talk to someone about what happened."

"I probably should." He'd never considered it that bad, more something to regret consenting to than anything, but Morgan might be right there.

"Yeah. JJ's going to do your make-up?"

"Of course. Because this can only get sillier."

JJ did his make-up for him. Spencer had never actually done it for himself, his partner always had. "You spent how long stuck in that thing?" She asked while she worked.

"The better part of three days." He replied. "Most of it not willingly."

"Jesus. There." She stepped back to look over her work. "You look ridiculous." JJ said. "Why did you ever start doing this?"

"Honest answer?" Spencer asked.

"Sure, why not."

"I was eighteen, in the middle of a late blooming puberty, in a school with a ratio of one female student for every five male, and worse if you were LGBT. Agreeing to do this twice a month resulted in sexual activity at least twice a week."

Morgan started laughing. "You did this just to get laid?"

"Think about it."

"No, I'd rather not, thanks. And you couldn't get there any other way?" JJ asked.

"I have friends from back then who are still at CalTech and still haven't lost their virginity. Granted Sheldon is kind of odd..."

"Okay, never mind." JJ stopped him right there. "Just please never do this again."

"I don't intend to."

Of course when the gods of embarrassment decided to smite Spencer they were quite thorough. There was a tapping at the door. They all turned to see Jem, of all people, standing there. "...what...the..." He stared at Spencer in confusion.

"I'm going undercover tonight." Spencer said with a nod. Because if he was going to be embarrassed in front of his entire team why not his boyfriend as well. Just get it all out of the way.

By now Morgan was nearly doubling over with laughter. "What? Not doing it for you?"

"God no." Jem was clearly flabbergasted. "I'm sorry, but you look ridiculous."

"Thank you." Spencer nodded. There was no malice there, it was said with love. And it was honest, he did look silly. "Why are you here?"

"That call this morning was about a case, we're hoping for a bust tonight. I just stopped in to say hey. Just don't... "

"Don't worry." Morgan said. "We've got his back."

"Thank you. I just...I'll see you later. I just...Damn."

"Go back to work." Spencer said. But he was smiling. Good heavens, he was so glad he had found Jem.

"Yes. Work. Damn." Jem waited until he'd stepped out to start laughing.

JJ went back to the finishing touches. Until they heard Jem's whistle from down the hall.

A moment later Alex strode into the room. She had also changed for the evening, into an outfit that made her look like a grade school teacher, and a frumpy one at that. "Smart ass." She was mumbling about Jem on the way in. But she was also smiling. "Oh, don't you look adorable."

"I look ridiculous." Spencer replied.

"But in an adorable way. Now come here." She moved an armed chair to face the general direction of the door and sat like she was more than a little uncomfortable.

Spencer moved to sit next to Alex, sliding to the floor next to her chair. He let his legs splay out in front of him and his arms hang to his sides. He leaned heavily against her leg and let his expression fall to a pleasant neutrality.

"Okay, that's more than a little creepy." JJ said.

"Yeah, but he's kind of cute, isn't he?' Alex said as she reached down and ran her fingers through Spencer's hair. "My little dolly."

Morgan and JJ both shuddered. "Yeah, you need to keep Jem around for some normal lovin'." Morgan said. "No more of this."

"I second that." JJ replied.

"I haven't done this since I was nineteen." Spencer replied, without moving anything else. "Are you two going to tell me you never did anything stupid or risky in college?"

"Uhhh, yeah, let's not go there." JJ looked to Morgan for support.

"Yeah, let's not." He agreed.

Hotch and Rossi joined them. "Perfect." Rossi proclaimed. "You both look naive and uncertain and are showing signs of low self-esteem. The ultimate newbies."

"Add in being new to the area and we'll be the perfect targets." Alex replied. "Now let's just hope we can catch whoever the Unsub is after tonight.

 **Denver Sanctuary  
Denver, CO**

The club was in a light industrial area. Perfect for setting up. Morgan didn't know what he expected but something like a nightclub wasn't it. Granted the nudity and general naughtiness going on was, but somehow he'd expected more. On the other hand he thought about what it might have been like if he was eighteen. It was easy to see how his friend had been overwhelmed. Still, little brother had come through okay. That was what mattered.

Granted he did look utterly ridiculous at the moment. "Anything yet?" Hotch asked Rossi over his earwig.

"Not yet." Rossi said into the microphone on his wrist, covering the movement with a sip of his drink. They were watching him through the security cameras. Just a little ways off Alex was sitting at a table with Spencer on the floor next to her, much like they had been back at the field office. Apparently the rules were that Spencer didn't have to communicate at all, Alex would do all the talking. He literally just had to sit there and look pretty.

"Anything yet?" Another voice said over his headset.

"Not yet." Another voice replied.

"What was that?" Rossi asked.

"What was that?" The second voice asked.

"Someone is bleeding over onto our channel." The first voice said.

"Technical difficulties." Hotch said to Rossi. "Hang on."

"Wait a minute." Morgan said.

 _To: Baby Girl  
From: Morgan_

 _Do you have Jem's number?_

 _..._

 _To: My Eternal Love  
To: The Goddess_

 _Yeah, here. Why?_

 _..._

 _To: Tiamana, J  
From: Morgan, D_

 _Where are you guys at tonight?_

 _..._

 _To: Morgan, D  
From: Tiamana, J_

 _Denver Sanctuary, it's a BDSM club. Why?_

 _..._

Morgan showed the text to Hotch. "What are the odds?"

"Who's his unit chief?" Hotch asked with a sigh.

An hour later, after Rossi and the guy from Org Crime had politely nodded to each other across the hall, and the two teams had met outside and were sharing, a well-dressed man in glasses approached Alex and Spencer's table. He was leading a younger woman whose stiff movements and silly costume proclaimed her to be the same kind of doll that Spencer was pretending to play. After the usual polite introductions Glasses Man sat at the table to gently chat up Alex, while Raggedy Ann sat on the floor and leaned against him, not looking at Spencer. He wasn't looking at her either.

"Please don't tell me that's your guy." Morgan said.

"That's our guy." Jem replied. "I just hope he's not yours."

"We are not that kind of lucky."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

 **Somewhere outside Denver**

The longer Glasses Man, aka Stan talked to Alex the more it became obvious that he was the guy they were looking for. He was doing everything he could to talk Alex into bring Spencer back to his house with him and his doll Charlotte so they could 'play'. In his car no less. Anyone with any intelligence would know that this was a really bad idea, but Alex pretended to be too new and too amazed that this was All Real to really pay attention to the rules. After what seemed like an appropriate amount of hedging and uncertainty she let herself be talked into it. They headed out to Stan's Lexus and started heading for the hills, trailing a caravan of undercover FBI behind them.

They were listening the entire way of course. Spencer and Charlotte never said a word, per their roles in this whole thing. Alex and Stan chatted on about dolls and how they got started in the scene and what they liked best and so on. Nothing at all untoward or threatening given the circumstances.

Nothing unexpected happened until they pulled into the garage of a very expensive home in the foothills above Denver. "Your dolly is so very tall." Stan said, indicating a flatbed utility cart. "Why don't you put him on this cart, it would make him easier to move around."

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea!" Alex said. She led Spencer over by the elbow and had him sit on the cart. "Perfect."

"Yes it is." Stan replied. He reached down and turned the knob on the back of Spencer's neck, locking the rig in place. "Now get in the trunk."

"Excuse me?" Alex turned to look at him, and for the first time saw the gun in his hand. "Is that a gun? Stan, what is this?"

* * *

Outside the assembling teams heard the word gun and got ready to move. "Wait." Hotch said. "We have to make sure the Unsub is there."

Jem had been assigned to the BAU team for the duration, something about maintaining his undercover status. Now he and Morgan looked at each other. This was going to be the longest period of wait in history.

* * *

"Get in the trunk." Stan said again.

"What?" Alex was still playing shocked.

"Get. In. The. Trunk. Or else." He pointed the gun at Spencer's head.

Alex's eyes widened. "No. No, don't...okay...okay." She quietly went and climbed in the trunk.

Stan closed it and went around where Spencer could see him. "Dolls don't have voices." He said. "You say one word and I come back and kill her. Understand?" Spencer didn't have to say anything; the look in his eyes was enough. Stan tucked his gun into his pocket and opened the locks over Spencer's hips, making him lie back on the cart. Then he bent his knees and rested his heels on the cart so his heels wouldn't drag and pushed him into the house.

Spencer lay there, nearly immobile, watching the ceilings pass over him, until the cart stopped. "Hello Charles." Stan said. "I did what you asked. I brought you a doll to play with. Now we can leave Charlotte out of this. And please don't say anything to my boss. Please."

Spencer heard the footsteps of someone else drawing nearer. "Oh my." Said a deeper male voice.

He knew that voice.

"Check the inside of his left wrist." That deeper voice said. "Does he have a button there?"

He _knew_ that voice.

Stan popped the locks on Spencer's arm, lifting it so he could peel back the edge of his glove. "He does. Do you know him?"

Now the voice was chuckling. Spencer _knew that voice_. "Thank you Stan." The voice said. "You've brought me a very rare dolly. I haven't seen Spencer here in quite some time."

* * *

Out in the staging area Morgan looked at Jem. And Jem looked back at him. There was no way this could be good. No way.

"Wait for the signal." Hotch said.

* * *

"Did you put his owner away?" Charles asked.

"I put her in the trunk." Stan replied. "Just like you said."

"Let's go make sure she stays there while we play."

Spencer listened as the footsteps walked away. Once they had left the room he rolled off the cart. He pulled the magnets holding his fingers together apart and pulled off the gloves he was wearing before he pulled his backup from his ankle holster. "All teams move in." He said into the microphone hidden in the cuff of his shirt. "All teams move in, we have the Unsub." Then he reached down and unlocked Charlotte's rig. "Get behind me." He said.

"Who are you?" She asked as she scrambled behind him

The rig made his movements stiff but Spencer could still hold his gun. He winced as he heard the car in the garage turn over. "FBI."

* * *

That was the signal. "All teams go." Hotch said. "All teams go."

Jem and Morgan got moving. They didn't have to say anything, they knew they were going to save Spencer's ass.

* * *

The Org Crime team headed for the garage. They got there just as Alex opened the door and led Stan out into the fresh air. "Stan Halpert." They said as they got hands on Stan. "You are under arrest for..."

As the first agent started reciting the list the second went to turn off the car and fetch something from the back seat. "Stan, Stan, Stan." He said as the first agent put Stan in cuffs. "Not only are you cheating on your wife but you're getting freaky about it too. And with your briefcase and laptop in the car. What is Tony Franzelli going to say?"

JJ had gone with them in exchange for Jem going with the BAU team. She was helping Alex, who looked none the worse for wear. "Who?" She asked.

"Tony Franzelli. Biggest Mafia boss in the Denver metroplex." Agent two replied. "Stan here is his accountant. Mobsters don't like it when their people get kinky in the bedroom; your Unsub was likely using the threat of telling Tony as blackmail. Thanks for bringing all this evidence along on your little play date Stan."

"Just protect Charlotte." Stan replied. "Charles is a monster."

"Don't worry." Alex replied. "We've got her."

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the mansion, Spencer watched as a too familiar form walked down the hall. "FBI!" He called out. "Put your hands where I can see them!"

The figure slowed, likely saw the gun, and put his hands up. "Spencer. Darling." Charles said. "It's been a long time. How did you get out of your framework?"

"I broke it the night I left you and John Marcus." Spencer replied. "Did you really think I'd let myself get into that position again?'

"One cannot deny one's true nature for long." Spencer could hear the smile in Charles' voice. "You would have enjoyed yourself you know."

"No, I wouldn't have you sick, twisted, son of a..." But now the rest of the team was coming in, and Charles was being arrested and Spencer could breathe again. "I had no idea, I swear." He said to Hotch.

"I know." Hotch replied. "Are you all right?"

Spencer nodded in reply. "Physically." Emotionally he'd likely be falling apart later. This was complicated. And big.

"Good. Get checked out anyway." But then Hotch was moving away to deal with the situation.

And Jem was coming up to him. Jem, all decked out for something like a SWAT raid, looking like some giant warrior of old. "I was, you know, coming to save you." Jem said.

"You mean make the arrest." Spencer replied.

"No. Not really."

Awww. "That's...that's the sweetest thing anyone ever said to me. But, um, I don't really need saving."

"Yeah, I see that."

Poor Morgan was about to injure himself from laughing. "Not helping." Spencer said to him.

"I know." Morgan replied. "Let's get back to the station before you two give me cavities."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

 **FBI field office  
Denver, CO**

While the locals took care of Charlotte, the other victim, the BAU concentrated on Charles Urquhart, the Unsub. "He's not talking." Rossi said as he left the interrogation room. He looked at the file Hotch was holding. "How did we get that so fast?"

"Because our Unsub was recently released from prison. In California." Hotch said. "Multiple charges including assault, rape, kidnapping. Garcia said he accessed some hidden accounts, apparently came out here, and started in again." He looked over at Spencer. "Are you certain you had no idea?"

"None, I swear." That night he'd left Professor Marcus and the person who was now this Unsub he had never looked back. "He stalked me for a while and then he just dropped off." He peeked at the file. "Right about when he was arrested. Why?"

"The arresting officer was Jason Gideon."

Okay, that was surprising. "I hadn't even met Gideon then."

"So you never told him about this guy?" Morgan asked. "That wasn't why he started looking in to him?"

"No. Unless Stephen told him. We were, um, kind of together for a while."

"Stephen?" Alex asked.

"Gideon's son Stephen?" Rossi asked.

"Wait a minute." JJ said. "Are you saying Gideon was your father-in-law?"

"Not technically." Spencer said. "Stephen and I did live together for a few years..."

"In other words yes." JJ nodded. "This totally explains your relationship with Gideon, you know that, right?"

"I suppose." Spencer replied. "Anyway, Stephen knew I was being stalked. That was around the time we started seeing each other."

"And he went to his father for help." Alex said.

"And Gideon looked into the guy, saw he was a serial, or about to be a serial, and put him away." Morgan nodded. "Makes sense."

"And when Gideon recruited you..." JJ started.

"...Stephen was afraid he'd end up like his mother and ended the relationship." Rossi finished. "Now that makes sense."

"I wouldn't have let that happen!" Spencer said.

"Good luck convincing him of that." Rossi replied. "I had the other ring side seat for that divorce."

"Anyway, the whole thing happened before I met Gideon, and well before I joined the FBI." Spencer said. "I never looked into it further because it was over."

"You couldn't have done anything about it anyway." Hotch said. "Now if we can make this case he won't be getting out again. He seemed rather attached to you, maybe you can get him to break."

Spencer swallowed twice, nodded, and headed to the interrogation room.

* * *

Meanwhile, over in another interrogation room Org Crime was having a long talk with Stan Halpert the accountant. "Just tell me that Charlotte is all right." Stan said.

"She's fine." One of the agents talking to him said. "She's at the hospital getting checked out."

"At the hospital!" Stan was verging on apoplexy. "I need to talk to her. Please!"

"Why don't you talk to us first. Tell us what Tony Franzelli's money has been up to lately."

Just then the door burst open and a well-dressed woman strode into the room. "Don't say another word." She said.

"Who the hell are you?" The first agent said.

"Stella Diamonte. I'm Mr. Halpert's attorney." She put her business card down on the table. "And if you don't mind I'd like to confer with my client before you interrogate him."

Damn it all to hell and back. The two agents sighed. "Fine, fine."

After the two agents left Stan looked over at his new lawyer. "I didn't call you."

"No, you didn't. My father, Luca Diamonte sent me." She smiled as it sank in. "Yeah, that's right. What's it going to be?"

Stan barely took the time to think. "I'm more worried about Charlotte."

Stella pulled out her phone. "My people are at the hospital by now. How about if you ask her yourself."

* * *

"Are you okay?" Jem asked.

Jem and Spencer were talking in an out of the way corner; keeping their voices down in the hopes that no one would quite realize that the conversation was more personal than professional. "I don't know." Spencer replied. That interview had been humiliating. And an emotional roller coaster, although no one seemed to have noticed so far. "This feels very complicated. You have a few more days in the field, yeah?"

"Yeah, we're hitting Tony Franzelli in the morning. It'll take me a couple of days to deal with that end."

"I can at least tell you that I'll be all right until you get home."

"Are you sure? Because I can..."

"No you can't." Spencer stopped him with a smile. "The 'aiga needs you. I'll be okay. I'll see if Morgan will stay over, we'll watch Charlie Chaplain and eat junk food."

Jem smiled. "You're going to foul my kitchen with take-out, aren't you?"

"Yes. But we'll try to clean up after ourselves."

"All right."

Spencer was going to say something more but he became aware of someone in the room paying them closer than average attention. "Do you know that woman?"

Jem's head turned and he went very alert. Likely without realizing it he stepped between Spencer and the woman in question. "Yeah. I've got it. Go get cleaned up."

Just. Insistent. Enough. And Spencer had been heading to the locker room to get out of his undercover clothes anyway. "Yeah, okay." He turned to the locker room, he'd ask about her later.

* * *

Jem felt Spencer moving away, waited for that before he nodded the woman in question over. "What are you doing here Stel?" He asked as he took a quick scan around the room to see if anyone was paying attention.

"I'm Stan Halpert's lawyer." She replied. "It's what I do, you know."

"Yeah, except you're also the one who told me he was cheating on his wife and going to a kinky sex club to do it, and that he was being blackmailed. You set him up."

"Shhh." Stella replied.

"Is the Old Man using me to take over Franzelli's business?"

"Maybe." She replied. "But this also means you can get his son Angelo out before his father finds out he has a boyfriend. Once your people raid Tony his son goes into the system and you can make him disappear. Legally. Before he gets to eighteen. I'll even cover the cost of boarding school if the government won't." She smiled. "In business we call this a win-win."

"Bullshit." Jem somehow managed not to growl at her. "Do not do this again!"

Stella just laughed. "Enjoy your raid, Jackie."

* * *

 _To: The 'aiga  
From : JT_

 _Okay people, we have a new family member. Everyone welcome Adrian. Full explanation at our next gathering, just be aware that he's seventeen, so try not to corrupt him for a few more months._

...

 _To: The 'aiga  
From: KC (WL)_

 _OMG new little brother!_

* * *

 _To: Jack  
From: Stella_

 _Here. Make your boy this. Put some meat on his bones.  
Attachment: MamasLasagnaRecipe_

 _..._

 _To: SD (SF)  
From: JT_

 _Make who this?_

 _..._

 _To: Jack  
From: Stella_

 _Your new boyfriend. The tall skinny one with the puppy eyes._

 _..._

 _To: SD (SF)  
From: JT_

 _I don't know who you're talking about Stel._

 _..._

 _To: Jack  
From: Stella_

 _You can't bullshit a bullshitter Jackie. I don't know why you try._

* * *

.

* * *

We met Stephen Gideon in 10x13 "Nelson's Sparrow". Links on my AO3 account.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

 _To: DM (DC)  
From: JT_

 _Finally on my way back from that case. Is he okay? He's been more quiet than usual_

 _..._

 _To: Jem  
From: Morgan_

 _He's been more quiet than usual but he's hanging in there. You get to sort it out._

 _..._

 _To: DM (DC)  
From: JT_

 _Got it. Thank you_

 _..._

 _To: Jem  
From: Morgan_

 _No problem. Kid brother. Just remember, kid brother._

 _..._

 _To: DM (DC)  
From: JT_

 _Yeah yeah yeah_

* * *

 **1881 North Nash Street  
Unit 2503**  
 **Arlington,** **VA**

"I'm home!" Jem called out as he came in the door four days after the bust in Denver. "Is anyone else?"

"Up here." Spencer called back. He rolled off his old couch and headed down the stairs from the loft. "Did Adrian get settled?"

"Yeah, I think so. I think boarding school will be good for him. And he already clicked with his therapist."

"Great."

Jem eyed the way Spencer was standing there, arms wrapped around himself in a protective gesture. He headed for the bedroom with his bags, to keep any hint of confrontation off. "How are you?"

As he predicted Spencer trailed after him, at least to the bedroom door. "I'm all right." Jem turned and gave him one of those looks. Spencer sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "Okay, I'm not all right."

"Talk to me." Jem sat behind him, wrapping his love up in arms and legs, engulfing him so he would feel safe and warm. He was once again utterly amazed by how Spencer relaxed around him.

"I thought it was just a mistake on my part." Spencer said after a long moment. "I trusted the wrong people; I moved too fast, it wasn't that big of a deal. But now...the problem with an eidetic memory is that when a memory comes back you remember all of it, words, sensation, the whole thing. I thought it wasn't that big of a deal because I blocked most of it out. And then I heard his voice and..."

"Easy." Jem murmured to him.

Spencer took a deep breath. "I know, I know. Symptoms of Post-Traumatic stress, in these cases it can take years to manifest, I know what's going on."

"And you know what you need to do."

"I saw my new therapist yesterday." Spencer smiled and rested his head on Jem's shoulder. "I can't tell the kids to get help if I don't follow my own advice."

"Yup. Have you been back to work?"

"Oh yeah. It's not that bad."

"Good."

"And, um, just so you know, I'm not sleeping in the loft either."

"Okay..."

"I mean, I never want to do anything like that again." Spencer said

"No one is going to ask you to, unless they want to answer to me."

"No, I mean _any_ of that..."

"Oh." Well it wouldn't be the first time Jem had to take a break from a bed partner while they healed.

"...with _anyone_ but you."

Jem's train of thought screeched to a halt. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

Spencer was quiet a long moment. "I might be? How receptive are you to the idea?"

In response Jem kissed him for a very long time.

* * *

 **BAU Headquarters  
Quantico, VA**

Spencer ended up taking a personal day the next day. The day after Alex cornered him by the coffee pot. "So where were you yesterday?" She asked quietly.

"Oh, I had to, uh, take care of a few things with Jem."

"Like getting new ink?" Alex smiled when he looked at her. "You have a bit of plastic wrap sticking out of your sleeve. I assume you had the button done over?"

Spencer sighed. "Yes, I did." He took off his watch to reveal the now slightly larger design.

"And that is...a Samoan symbol I believe. Not certain of the meaning..."

"And I am not going to share." Spencer busied himself putting his watch back on and trying not to blush. Or scratch.

"...but I assume it might have something to do with this." Alex caught his hand when he was done and turned it to admire the ring he was wearing. "Blue opal?"

"Yes." A band of iridescent blue trapped in a simple, titanium ring.

"And he has?"

"Black opal." He turned to head back to his desk.

Alex, of course, ignored the cue and followed him. "Rainbow colors against a black background. I'm guessing yours is the ocean around Samoa, his is the night sky and the neon of Vegas. Very nicely done."

"What is?" JJ asked. She and Penelope were at the desks looking over some files.

"Oh, the engagement ring Spencer is now wearing." Alex replied.

The two women gaped at that and then started very nearly shrieking. This drew the attention of the rest of the team, and then it was congratulations and back slapping and hugs. "So, when's the wedding?" Morgan asked.

"Not a clue." Spencer replied. "We can't set a date until it's legal. If it's ever legal."

"I have every faith." Penelope said.

"But when the time comes we'll be having it in Vegas so Mom can be there."

"Good. Let me know because this is going to be the epic bachelor party."

"And apparently we're supposed to go to Samoa in September, if I can get time off."

"To meet the in-laws." JJ said. "Aww."

"Just put in the paperwork." Hotch said. "It shouldn't be a problem."

"Thanks." Spencer couldn't help it, he was blushing.

There were more congratulations all around before people settled back to work. Spencer was beaming. He had the most amazing family, and now more than ever before Jem was part of it too.

* * *

 _To: Johnny D  
From: Louie E_

 _Hey, a little birdy told me that Jackie is getting married._

 _..._

 _To: Louie E  
From: Johnny D_

 _Oh yeah? Who's the lucky faggot?_

 _..._

 _To: Johnny D  
From: Louie E_

 _Don't know. Another Fed though._

 _..._

 _To: Louie E  
From: Johnny D_

 _Isn't that nice._

 _..._

 _To: Stella  
From: Johnny_

 _You hear anything about Jackie's new boyfriend?_

* * *

.

* * *

First off my apologies for posting so slowly. It's been kind of insane around the Knitting House of late. For one thing that issue I was so worried about a few months ago just resolved a week ago. And that was *one* thing. But things are settling well at last, so hopefully my publishing schedule will ramp up again at last.

That said I have a slight problem here. My schedule has shifted once again. It will likely be stable through the summer, but for now I can only work on three stories at a time. At the moment I have four in play, with one only available on AO3 due to an MA rating. So my question is, which ones do you want to see finished first?

Safe Harbor  
Girl of Mysterious Sorrow  
The First Run

If you want to vote please put them in order in the comments. Thank you!


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Three weeks.

Spencer had been engaged for three weeks. Three weeks of utter bliss. Sure, there were cases on his end, and sure the 'aiga always needed something from Jem, but for the most part it had been three weeks of coming home to warm, welcoming arms and all the comfort love and trust could bring. Spencer thought he had never been happier in his life.

Of course he didn't get to go home every night. Cases were still a thing. "Los Angeles California." Garcia said. "Specifically the docks. The cops found this there four nights ago." She put up a picture of a young, Asian man, very dead. This was a body, but not just any body. The staging was elaborate. And gruesome. "And two days ago they found this." Another young Asian man, similarly staged, but even more horrible.

"Was the throat slitting ante- or post-mortem?" Spencer asked.

"Before, as was pulling the tongue through. Apparently it's called a necktie. The victims choked to death on their own blood. Everything else was post." Garcia very deliberately sat where she wouldn't have to look. "I am not looking to give details."

"Did these men have anything in common?" JJ asked.

"According to intel from the local office they were both police informants and members of the Black Dragons, one of the Triad gangs. Specifically the gang that controls the container ports."

"Ports, plural?" JJ asked.

"Los Angeles and Long Beach."

"The Los Angeles and Long Beach container ports are the two busiest shipping terminals in the US." Spencer said. "Combined they move two hundred and forty eight million tons of cargo a year."

"Nice place to be a smuggler." Alex said.

"And snitches get stitches." Rossi replied. "The Black Dragons are sending a message, but why does LA need us on it."

"Because this morning they found this." Garcia put a third picture up on the screen. Another young Asian man, another elaborately destroyed body, but this time someone wrote "FBI BAU" on one of the containers.

"Blood?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah." Garcia replied.

"I do love being invited to a party." Rossi said.

"He's moving fast." Hotch said. "Wheels up in 30."

* * *

"Isn't Jem running some informant program for Org Crime?" Alex asked as they were packing up.

"Yes." Spencer said. "But I can't talk about it."

"Could this have anything to do with that? This guy is going after informants. If that's why he's calling us out there."

"No one outside of our teams knows we're in a relationship." And the 'aiga, but they would never say anything.

"Still."

Spencer shrugged and pulled out his phone.

* * *

 _To: Taimana, J  
From: Reid, S _

_Are you currently working with anyone in the LA area?_

 _..._

 _To: SR (DC)  
From: JT_

 _No, why?_

 _..._

 _From: Reid, S  
To: Taimana, J_

 _We have a case out that way. Wanted to check. I'll call you tonight._

 _..._

 _To: SR (DC)  
From: JT_

 _Okay. Be careful love. Hoki ki ahau_

 _..._

 _From: Reid, S  
To: Taimana, J_

 _Always._

* * *

"Nope. Nothing in LA." Spencer said to Alex.

"All right then."

* * *

Once in LA Hotch took Spencer to the crime scene to check in with the agent in charge there. JJ and Morgan went to the coroner's office. That left Alex and Rossi to go straight to the FBI office to see if there was anything new. As they were walking in to the Federal building Rossi slowed his steps and stopped. "What is it?" Alex asked.

"A shark." He replied.

"Excuse me?"

Rossi didn't reply. Instead he went inside to the reception desk. "Excuse me." He asked, showing his badge. "The woman who just left, who was she here to see?"

The woman at the desk looked it up. "Director Noland in Homeland Security."

"Thank you."

"Who was that?" Alex asked.

"Are you familiar with the term consigliere?" Rossi countered.

"A consigliere is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian, Calabrian and American Mafia." Alex said. "Third in command behind the head of the family and his second they are usually a trusted friend, an adviser or counselor to the head of the family, with the additional responsibility of representing the boss in important meetings both within the boss's crime family and with other crime families. Why?"

"That was Stella Diamante, legal counsel and consigliere to her father Luca Diamante, head of the largest and most powerful crime family on the west coast."

"Why was she meeting with Homeland?"

"I would really like to know." Rossi replied.

"Think she has anything to do with this case?"

"I know her family has been trying to take over the docks down here for decades." Rossi replied. "They can't get them away from the Triads."

"Just what we needed. More complications."

* * *

They spent all day going over old cases, trying to figure out why the Black Dragons would care about or even know about the BAU. And they kept coming up empty. From what they could see there was absolutely no connection. "Let's go over it one more time." Hotch said. "What do we know about the Black Dragons?"

The Black Dragons is a Chinese/American Triad or secret society and street gang that was formed in 1980 by Chinese immigrants in the Lincoln Heights area of Los Angeles." Spencer said. "It was started by a group of young men who bounded together to protect themselves from other Asian and Hispanic gangs. The Black Dragons has operated in Los Angeles for over two decades. They quickly became known for violence. The FBI opened a task force against them in 1999 and took them down in one of the largest gang sweeps of 2002, as federal agents simultaneously raided and arrested 30 of its core members. They re-grouped and were known to be involved in extortion, counterfeiting, prostitution, money laundering, drug smuggling, human trafficking, racketeering, home invasions, murder, assault, robbery, arms trafficking, auto theft, and burglary. Two years ago Org Crime took them down again, court cases are pending."

"So they have reason to be pissed at the FBI, but why us?" Rossi asked.

"Elephant in the room." JJ said. "One of us is involved with Org Crime." She looked over at Spencer. "Was Jem in on that bust two years ago?"

"I don't know." Spencer replied. "If he was he couldn't tell me, his operation is classified."

"Great."

"Assume that might have something to do with this." Hotch said. "Morgan, don't let him out of your sight."

"On it." Morgan replied. He chuckled at Spencer's groan.

"But who outside of this room knows about this relationship?" Alex asked.

"Your family?" JJ asked Spencer.

"I haven't said anything to them yet."

"Jem's family?"

"They wouldn't."

"Jem's unit?"

Spencer took a deep breath, but then let it out again. "I think there are trust issues there." He admitted.

"Are we saying what I think we're saying?" Morgan asked.

"Possibly." Alex replied. "And that being the case here's another question, are we sure this is the Black Dragons? We're assuming local intel is good."

"Just what we need. More complications." Rossi replied. "Let's try looking at this tomorrow."

"We might get a fresh crime scene tonight." Alex said.

"Not something you hope for, but."

* * *

They headed for their hotel. The Royal Palace on Tiveron was only a few blocks away from the office, but it was more or less a dive. "I can't believe this is the best Garcia could do." JJ said.

"I can't believe this is costing us one-eighty a night." Alex replied.

"Seriously!"

"Graduation." Spencer said.

"Oh god." Alex said.

"Graduation?" JJ asked.

"It's graduation week-end. UCLA is approximately one mile from here." Everyone groaned in understanding. "I'm honestly glad we got this lucky."

"This is true." Alex said.

They ate at the Denny's on the corner and then turned in. "We're rooming together." Morgan said as he pushed his way into Spencer's room.

"What? Why?"

"Because you might be why we're here. You can live without the phone sex for one night."

Spencer looked shocked. "I wasn't..."

"You going to try that on another profiler?"

Spencer closed his mouth and went to shower as Morgan chuckled at him.

* * *

In the middle of the night something woke Morgan. Maybe a change in pressure in the room or a change in temperature or something but he woke from a deep sleep, all of his senses on alert.

Unfortunately it was a hair too late.

He felt weight drop on to his mattress and a hand clamp over his mouth. His eyes opened to see three black clothed figures in their room. "Tell Agent Taimana we said hello." The one covering his mouth said.

Two gunshots rang out in the room.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

There was one good thing. A mile from UCLA meant less than a mile from UCLA Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma center. Morgan found Alex in the waiting area when he came back from debriefing. "How is he?" Morgan asked.

Alex looked like she had been through the wringer. "He's going to pull through." She said. "They came out and told us ten minutes ago. JJ went to let Jem know, he and his unit chief and Garcia are in the air."

"Define pull through." Morgan asked. He'd seen the wounds; he'd been the one to call for help.

"He will live, they said. They're still not sure about the rest of it."

"Damn it."

"The hard part is going to be Jem. They knew exactly where to wound him to make it hurt."

"And we're sure this is the Black Dragons?"

"Rossi is on his way to San Quentin now."

* * *

"James Tiamana." The agent with Rossi said.

"Who?" Zhang Hui asked in reply.

"Your men tried to hit one of his relatives last night." Zhang Hui sat back and shook his head. "He's a Federal Agent!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't put out any hits on any Feds. And if I did I wouldn't go after someone's family. I'd go after the Fed who put me in here personally."

They went around and around for a while but eventually they gave it up. "What do you think?" The other agent asked.

"I'm not sure." Rossi replied.

"Great."

* * *

"I lied to Org Crime." Rossi said when they met at the hospital. "Zhang Hui was telling the truth. He didn't do this."

"If not them then who?" Alex asked.

"I don't know." Rossi replied. "That's the problem. But I know one thing; Jem can't be on this case. He is way too close."

"You think we're going to be able to get him off of it?" Morgan asked.

"We'd better." Rossi took a deep breath. "I had some dealings with his family back when he was just a kid, the California side, not the Samoan side. They're known for their tempers. Jem isn't going to do Reid any good from inside a jail cell."

"You think he'd go after whoever did this?" JJ asked.

"We shouldn't take the risk." Hotch said. "We don't share anything with him, or with his unit. Let them all go with the Black Dragons, that end should be covered in case we're wrong. We'll keep digging on our own."

"And you stick with him until we go back to DC." Rossi said. "If he does go off you're the only one who has a chance of stopping him."

"Then who's going to stay here with Reid?" Morgan asked.

"I won't let anyone near him." Alex replied.

"The rest of us will keep digging." Hotch said. "I'll stay with Org Crime; see if I can learn anything there. I assume you have an idea you want to pursue?"

"I do." Rossi replied. "But take JJ with you. I should do this alone."

"You're sure?"

Rossi nodded slowly. "Yeah."

* * *

Four hours after it happened Jem and his unit chief were standing in the LA office, trying to explain why the Black Dragons would go after his fiancée. "Agent Tiamana's informant program was essential in bringing down Zhang Hui's organization."

"You turned someone close to him?" Hotch asked. "One of his lieutenants?"

"I turned his daughter." Jem replied. "Or rather she turned herself. He wasn't exactly parent of the year, I had to hold her back."

They all collectively groaned. "Is she in a safe location?" JJ asked.

"She's on her way to one. No one else knows where. And no, I'm not sharing." Jem looked over at Hotch. "Are we sure it was the Black Dragons?" Hotch had the best poker face bar none but Jem still must have picked something up there. His whole being gathered like a storm cloud ready to let go. "Excuse me." He turned and headed for the door.

Morgan followed him, but whatever Jem had seen in Hotch's face kept him from noticing. He was angry, working up to a fury. Rossi had been right to put a guard on him, for his own good. Jem was pulling his phone out as he hit the door and dialing a number from memory. "Lo ha fatto?" He said into the phone, with an accent Morgan could almost place. He paused for a moment, his shoulders tight, hunched. "Lo ha fatto?!" He growled again into the phone. This time the answer was longer. And apparently more reassuring. "All right." He said, his posture calming down. "I gotta go. Thanks Stel."

"What was that all about?" Morgan asked.

Jem turned and saw him there. "I guess it was the Black Dragons." He shook his head. "I hadn't even met Spencer then. I never thought..."

"Hey. Reid is an agent just like we are. He volunteers to stick his neck out just like we do. And he's going to be all right."

"I need to go to him." Jem said.

"Alex is there."

"No." Jem was winding up again. Morgan didn't want that pointed at him. "I need to be there. Everything I had on the Black Dragons ended with that bust. They have everything I can give them in there. Spencer needs me."

Morgan sighed. "All right. Let's go."

* * *

While all this was going on a young girl now named Kristi Jin was over the ocean. She was flying to Honolulu , where she would spend the night with Mark, a fellow member of the 'aiga who was in the Marines, and then tomorrow she was flying on to Pago Pago.

She was going to Samoa! She was going to meet Jem's family! She was going to swim in the ocean and get a tan and eat Tama's cooking...

Kristi only knew that her dad was up to something so she had to get out of the country. But that was all right. She had family now, and they had her back.

She was going to be okay.

* * *

They went round and round and got nowhere. "Everything points to the Black Dragons." JJ said. "All their intel looks tight. But Zhang Hui was telling the truth. So who could have done this?"

Hotch shook his head. "I don't know."

"So who does know?"

* * *

.

* * *

I admit, I'm posting this just to beg for good thoughts. We're hoping we can nurse one of our kitties away from the rainbow bridge, but it's touch and go tonight. If you can spare a thought for him we would deeply appreciate it. Thanks.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Stella Diamante was having a rather busy day.

She was in her office all day, a plush space notable only for the lack of wall-to-wall carpeting. An inexpensive area rug lay over the laminated floor in front of her desk. Everything else was top of the line, including the people who worked for her, but that rug stood out. Granted the only thing on her calendar was a meeting at 7pm that night, but she had deliberately cleared it for a number of unscheduled but expected visitors and phone calls. She assembled her staff, turned off the system that recorded everything in her office, audio and video, and waited.

The first call came with her morning coffee, quality decaf, cone drip, half and half, stevia powder. "Did he do it?" Jackie asked.

"Did who do what?" Yeah, that wasn't going to hold him for long.

"Did he do it?"

Stella sighed. "I heard a rumor about a Fed getting hit last night to send a message. I heard the Black Dragons did it. If it's any help Johnny was in Sacramento all night last night. One of my guys was with him. So it couldn't have been him."

"All right." Jackie sounded calmer.

She smiled a little and put a note of confusion into her voice. "Why are you so upset about this?"

"I gotta go. Thanks Stel."

She hung up without saying anything. Half of that conversation had been in Italian. Not just Italian but Sicilian. Not just Sicilian but in a very unique dialect and one Jackie hated to use. Ergo someone had been standing close enough to listen in on his end. Good. He needed a babysitter today.

* * *

The first visitor of the day came in not too much later. As he walked in she could see her assistant preparing a tray with her second cup and an espresso for her guest. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice." Dave Rossi said.

"Anything I can do for the FBI." Stella replied.

"We met before you know." Rossi stepped in, looked down at the rug, and skirted the edge of it as he approached the chairs in front of her desk. "I believe you were eleven then."

"And you were arresting my father. I remember."

"I remember your family as well. Are you going to call your lawyer?"

She shook her head slowly and kept her hands in full view. "No. I don't need one."

"Which makes me wonder exactly what sort of relationship you have with Director Noland."

"You should ask Noland."

She watched as he very deliberately set his badge down on her credenza before he sat down. This would be tricky. This man's reputation preceded him. It would all depend on how he phrased his question. "Did your family hit that FBI agent over by UCLA last night?" Rossi asked.

So far so good. "No." She answered with perfect honesty.

"Did your family order the hit on that agent, or pay someone to do it for you?"

"No."

Ah good, she got him. He tried a few more feints while he drank his espresso, but they were easy to evade. In the end he had to sigh. "I guess I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"That's all right Agent Rossi." She stood and offered her hand. "Anytime we can help the FBI. Things are different now."

"Right." He picked up his badge and politely left.

Stella sat down and turned her security system back on as she buzzed her assistant. "Make sure Agent Rossi doesn't meet anyone on the way down." She turned and started typing something on her computer.

* * *

Her next visitor didn't get coffee, although she was working on her third. He was a small man, Asian, dressed in the latest street punk fashion. "Tommy Dong." She said. "Leader of the Asian Boyz, I believe. Am I right?" She already knew she was.

"We had a deal!" He snarled as soon as the door closed behind him.

Foolish boy was standing on the carpet. Stella rocked back in her office chair and smiled over her cup. "Did we?"

"You double crossed me!"

"I double crossed you?"

"You sold me out to the Black Dragons! You're moving in on our territory!"

Stella gestured to a chair, but he didn't sit. Stella shrugged. "Tell me exactly the details of this deal?"

"We got a million dollars, control of the docks, protection, and the names of the snitches in our ranks. In exchange we hit some faggot for you."

Stella smiled. "We don't have a deal like that with you."

The man looked stunned. "Johnny said..."

She stopped him there. Boy needed to learn some respect. "My father, Luca Diamante, runs this family. He approves every deal. And when he does he passes the details on to me. He has not told me of this supposed deal. Neither has Johnny, who does not speak for this family. Ergo we have no deal."

Tommy's face flushed red with anger. "You bitch!"

Stella smiled. "Now, you don't know it yet but I am doing you a solid. Actually, two solids, for your trouble." She turned to her computer and typed a little more. "First, I told the people behind the man you shot last night that the Black Dragons did the hit. And that those were their snitches who were killed in the container port." She set something printing.

Tommy looked shocked. "Why the fuck did you do that?! The Black Dragons are going to come after us now!"

"They have to figure out it was you first. I did it to slow down a much larger enemy you managed to acquire. Remember those two men you hit last night?" He nodded. She reached into a file on her desk and pulled out surveillance photos of Agent Derek Morgan and Agent Spencer Reid, both in FBI vests. Tommy's eyes widened as he swallowed. "Yeah. You hit a Fed last night. But more than that, he does something for the NSA. The National Security Agency. I have no idea what but I do know that that makes him what they call an asset. And do you know what they call people who try to destroy government assets? They call them terrorists. You know what the US Government does to terrorists these days?" She nodded as all the blood ran out of Tommy's face. "Yeah. So here." She reached back and took the paper from her printer. "One way to Phnom Penh. First class. On me. You should have just enough time to get to the airport which will put you well out ahead of the Feds. Right now your best bet is to go back to whatever rice paddy your mamma was standing in when you crawled out from between her legs, put your head down and start praying to whatever god you believe in that the US Military doesn't fly a drone up your ass. In another fifty years the FBI may have lowered the bounty enough that your grandchildren can take another try at the American Dream. And I suggest you take your Asian Boyz with you, if the choice is between turning on you and spending life in a piss hole in Saudi, well..."

Tommy didn't say anything. Pale and shaking as he realized the depth of the hole he'd found himself in, he took the paper and left.

Stella waited for the doors to close, then turned off the security system and touched another buzzer on her desk. Immediately two men in suits stepped out of a hidden door to the side of her desk. "Make it look like the Black Dragons." She said. The first man in line nodded and the two went to follow Tommy.

Stella sighed and canceled the plane ticked. Tommy wasn't going to need it after all.

* * *

.

* * *

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts. Unfortunately our kitty headed for the base of the Rainbow Bridge today. But he took lots of love with him.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

She kept the security system on for her next visitor. For this one her assistant prepared a doppio with a shot of very good scotch. "Hey Johnny." She said as her next visitor came through the door.

"Hey, Stel." He was a tall man, a good build for his height. He wore an expensive dark suit, expensive shoes, an expensive shirt in a dark, stylish color without a tie, and watch that was made to impress. He wore no rings, but then neither did she. And he walked on her carpet out of confidence instead of ignorance. "What's going on?"

"You tell me." She waited until he had his drink in hand. "I had a visitor this morning. Tommy Dong."

"What did that little pissant want?"

"The deal you promised him." She settled back in her chair, her hands around her mug. "We spent twenty years trying to get control of the LA docks away from the Triads and when we finally get the chance you try to piss it away for what?"

Johnny was trying to find an answer in the dark liquid in his mug. "To teach that bastard his place."

"Who?"

"You know who. Jack." He smiled slowly. "And you knew I would, too. That's why you gave me the name of that little faggot he's been fucking. I always knew you were on my side Stel."

"Why Johnny?" She leaned forward, an aggressive move. "What has Jack done to you? You haven't spoken in fifteen years. He's stayed out of our business. Hell, he even helped, if it wasn't for him we wouldn't hold the business in Chicago and Denver we have now."

Johnny was getting restless. "He's a Fed."

"So? He's not bothering us Johnny. Let him chase the chinks and the Cossacks around if it makes him happy."

Johnny slammed his mug down on his desk. "That fucking little pissant bastard doesn't deserve to be _happy_." He hollered out as he got up and started staling around, screaming curses.

Stella waited until he'd run down enough to let her break in again. "So you got the Asian Boyz involved in our business over something personal."

Johnny stopped and turned on her, hands on his hips. "Yeah. I got the Asian Boyz involved in our business over something personal."

"And risked our position with the Feds."

"Yeah."

"Without telling Poppa."

All of a sudden Johnny looked guilty. "Yeah."

"Because you knew that Poppa has given strict orders that Jack is untouchable."

"Doesn't mean his little faggot boyfriend is. Now every time Jackie looks at him he'll remember."

"Remember what?"

"That he only has until the old man dies." Johnny said. "Which can't happen fast enough."

Stella looked at her older brother in feigned shock. "Are you wishing Poppa dead Johnny?"

"Yeah, I am. How about that, huh? That old cornuto can't get out of my way fast enough."

This time she really was shocked. "Johnny!" You never said that about Luca Diamante. Ever.

"And when he dies and I take over we'll see some changes. The first thing that's going to go is that stain on our family."

"You're going to kill a Fed."

"Yeah. Personally. Watch me." With that Johnny gave her a grin that was less than sane and stormed out.

Stella sat back in her chair.

A few moments later she shut off her security system again. Then she opened the latest file in video editing software. Thankfully it was easy to use.

She had a flight to catch.

* * *

" _And when he dies and I take over this family we'll see some changes. The first thing that's going to go is that stain on our family."_

" _You're going to kill a Fed."_

" _Yeah. Personally. Watch me."_

It was 7pm. Stella Diamante was sitting in a very plush meeting room, tucked into the back of a very well-regarded old-school steakhouse in San Francisco. She had just played the tapes of her meeting with Tommy Duong and her brother Johnny for the men assembled. About two-thirds of them were old friends of her father; the remainder were the sons of friends long since gone. These were her father's associates, his trusted allies, his capos. She was here to brief them on the situation down in Los Angeles. Thankfully the only thing she'd had to edit out of the video was the moment where Johnny mentioned that he'd received Spencer Reid's name from her.

After she turned it off there was silence in the room. Then one of them spoke up. "Johnny's gone crazy."

"I know."

"Were you able to do anything?"

"I muddied the waters. The Feds won't be able to connect this hit to us. And I took care of the Asian Boyz. The Feds are clearing out the last of the Black Dragons. We will have control of all shipping on the west coast by Friday."

The men around the table nodded. "You do good work Stel." One of them said.

She smiled and bowed a little. "Thank you, Marty." She knew he was going to say that. And she knew what he was going to say next.

Marty slowly stood and addressed the room. "Which is why I think we need to break with tradition here. I know tradition is sacred, that the family is everything. But we have to face the matter. Luca, god bless his soul, isn't long for this world. Now I personally hope that he lives many years yet, but sooner or later we all go home to God. And when he does we have to ask ourselves, where will our loyalty lie? By tradition his business will go to his eldest boy. But Johnny is insane, getting outsiders into our business, causing trouble with the Feds over this personal vendetta...it's crazy...so I have to ask myself at least, do I place my loyalty with a crazy man? Or do I place my loyalty with someone who has quadrupled our territory in ten years, increased our profits fivefold and made a deal to keep the feds off our back? Even though she is a woman she has proven her careful and responsible leadership time and time again. Which is why I think I must pledge right here and right now, that Stella has my support as leader of this family on the passing of her beloved father." With that Marty came around the table, went down on one knee, and pressed a kiss to the ring Stella had worn to the meeting tonight.

"Marty." She pretended to be shocked, surprised. "I...I don't know what to say. I am honored by this."

"Marty has a point." Another man said, standing. "We can't trust Johnny. We can't support him. No matter what tradition says, Stella here is the best person to lead this family." And he too came around to kiss her ring.

"Thank you. I hope I can continue to deserve this honor. Thank you." She said as another man and another and another stood and came over to her. She looked to be near to tears.

She wasn't. Things were going exactly as planned.

This was why she'd worn her mother's ring to the meeting.

* * *

Spencer slowly opened his eyes. He was looking at a very blurry hospital ceiling. And his legs hurt over there somewhere. Okay, so something had happened, but what? Last thing he remembered was going to bed.

All of a sudden Jem's handsome face swam into view. "What happened?" Spencer croaked out.

"You began your transformation to cyborg." Jem replied. "High-tech ceramic knees."

Spencer slowly smiled. "Awesome."


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

"I am so sorry love." Jem said.

Spencer Reid was more than a little woozy with non-narcotic pain relievers, antibiotics, and whatever else they were running into him. "Don't be..."

"But..."

"Stop."

"But..."

"This is not the first time I've been shot in the line of duty. I am an FBI agent too you know. As long as Kristi is safe and the team is working on it..."

"She is and they are."

"Then don't feel guilty. If you do then they win."

Jem sighed. "I'll try." He said. "Is there anything I can do to make this at all better?"

Spencer pretended to consider for a moment. "Does the hospital have any Jell-o?"

* * *

 **BAU Headquarters  
Quantico, VA**

JJ and Morgan carpooled in a few weeks later, after a three-day week-end. They met Dave in the lobby and all shared an elevator. It wasn't anything special. Until they met Garcia in the elevator lobby on their floor, and all of a sudden it became a day. "Reid and Jem are here." Garcia said. "So is Alex."

"I thought she wasn't coming back." JJ said.

"She's not, at least not to the BAU. They're meeting with Strauss and the head of Org Crime and the Director. As in the Director Director."

"Now that is big." Morgan said. By then they were all through the main doors. "Whoa." He said as he stopped in his tracks.

When you walked into the elevator lobby there were two hallways, one off to the left, one to the right, and the big double doors straight ahead. Once through those double doors the break area was on the right and to the left was a partition made of file cabinets that ran the length of the room. On the far side was the bullpen, on the near side against the wall was the usual clutter of office equipment, copier, printers and such. At the end of that partition were the stairs to go up to the catwalk, a door back out into that first left hand hallway, and just past that Garcia's Lair. The point being that you could get out into that hallway and to the Lair from both the bullpen side and from that crowded office space behind the partition.

Or rather you used to be able to go that way. Because now those office machines had been moved, making that a walkable space. And where the stairs had been a ramp now turned and snaked into the bullpen, blocking off that doorway. To get back to the hall and to the Lair you had to go around the partition.

It wasn't the changed traffic flow that shocked them. It was what it meant. "So, he's coming back?" JJ asked.

"That's what the bossman said." Garcia replied. "He said we need his brains, and we could work around it. He even ordered modifications to the plane, and the Director okayed it."

"And the doctors are okay with this?" Dave asked.

"I guess so."

"Yeah, but there's no way he's coming back to full duty." Morgan said. "It's going to be like when he was shot the last time, he's going to be at the station most of the time. With Alex gone that still leaves us shorthanded."

"I wonder who's going to fill that slot." JJ said.

* * *

 _To: The 'aiga  
From : JT_

 _OK everyone say hello to Alex. She's been transferred to our unit on my end. Since I'm going to be in the field more often she's going to be there when you guys need someone right away. I'll still be around, It'll just take me longer to get back to you sometimes. She's an FBI agent with lots of experience and a full briefing about what you're all dealing with. She's also a professor at Georgetown teaching Forensic Linguistics. Odds are whatever it is she can handle it. Try to be gentle with her._

 _..._

"And they're all undergrads." Alex said. She was staring as her phone blew up with texts.

"Mostly. " Jem replied. "A couple are military, I've graduated two now."

"This might be a nightmare."

"You wanted to be out of the field. You wanted something you could do from Boston so you could be with your husband..."

"And I couldn't bear seeing Spencer hurt again." She replied with a sigh.

Jem eased his hip up on to the nearest desk. There was something more there. "Talk to me." He said.

Alex took a deep breath. "Did I ever tell you about my son Ethan?"

* * *

Sometime later Morgan smiled as a familiar figure came into the bullpen. "So where's your other half?" He asked.

"Just finishing up." Jem replied. "The Director wanted to talk to him for a minute." He was carrying a box in his hands. Now he looked around the pen. "Which desk was Alex's?"

"Why?" All of a sudden it dawned on Morgan. "You the new recruit?"

Jem took a deep breath. "Temporarily, yeah." He replied. "They want me out of Org Crime until they find the mole, I've got a lot of experience with NPD and BPD in criminal cases and you guys need more muscle right now."

"Oh that's great!" JJ said. No one spoke of the other reason. "She had this one." She gestured to the one next to her. "Welcome to the crazy."

"What, they think I can't kick in doors anymore?" Morgan asked.

"Yeah, but between the two of you you can kick in bank vaults." JJ replied.

Jem set his box down on the desk in question. "Apparently I'm supposed to spend however long it takes getting briefed on the kind of suspects you deal with."

"Unsub." JJ corrected. "Unlike most other units we don't start with a suspect and find a crime, we start with a crime and find the Unknown Subject who committed it. Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Any idea where you want to start?"

"I was going to start him off with Floyd Ferell." Spencer said as he joined them.

"Also known as why we never eat chili anymore." JJ nodded. "Sink or swim huh?"

"Might as well." He looked from her to Morgan and to Garcia who had joined them, and then gestured to the wheelchair he was sitting in. "You can ask. It's okay."

"Are you in that for good?" Garcia asked.

"Hopefully not." Spencer replied. "But we won't know for another twelve months, nine if I'm lucky."

"Why so long?"

"Because I was shot in my left knee once before there was substantially more damage. They have to wait for the ends of the tibia and femur to heal before they can replace the joint on that side. I have seven pins in there right now holding everything together."

They collectively winced. "What about your other knee?" JJ asked.

"It's great. I can get around on crutches without a problem. But you can really only spend so much time in a day on crutches and I can't put any weight at all on my other leg."

"True."

"So I can think of this as a temporary thing and not be too totally upset." Garcia said.

Spencer smiled. "Yes, you can. It's just a long form of temporary. So who wants to go to the conference room and help me tell Jem why we don't eat chili anymore?"


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

They ended up taking another week of catching up and training Jem, so the plane could be retrofitted. Everyone was impressed when Jem only threw up twice. He also agreed never to cook chili anymore.

And everyone was curious about the retrofit on the plane. Before this you had to go up stairs to enter, and when you did you were facing the galley with the coffee maker. On the left was a closet used by the pilots. On the right was a small cupboard with the fridge. Now that cupboard was gone, with the fridge relegated to a space in the main galley area. It had been replaced with a curious restraint system, and a lift system had been attached to the door way.

The rest of the plane remained the same, until you got to the far end. It used to be that, from nose to tail, there were two sets of two chairs, each facing each other over a table, one on the right, one on the left. Then came the conference table that sat four, with a storage unit opposite, then one more set of two and a table across from the couch. In the tail was a small hall with the bathroom on one side and storage on the other where they kept office supplies and their small armory. Now the hall was gone, and the last chair on the right had been removed to give access to what storage was left, although a little fold down jump seat had been put in place in case of need. You entered the bathroom directly, and the bathroom had been enlarged to allow for a wheelchair or someone on crutches.

"This seems like a lot of work for something temporary." JJ said.

"I talked to Jem about that." Dave replied. "When Reid said nine to twelve months he was referring to when he could attempt the next surgery. With what he needs they're looking at three years total, assuming everything works."

"Oh wow."

"Yeah." Dave stepped forward to that chair that now faced the fold down jump seat and stuck a little sign that read "Hotch's office" next to it. Then he motioned for everyone to be silent.

A few minutes later Hotch came on board. He looked at the sign. "Yes." He said as he put his belongings away.

After that Spencer and Jem joined them. Everyone was curious but it turned out to not be a big deal at all. Spencer wheeled himself down to the conference table, lifted the arms on the seats, and since his chair didn't have arms he nimbly slid over into the window seat. Jem pulled the chair back, folded it, and hooked it into the restraint system by the door. It took less than a minute and they were back in business.

All right.

* * *

 **Albuquerque Police Department  
Albuquerque, NM**

Another case, another Unsub. This one liked communicating in code.

Thankfully all police stations were ADA compliant. Spencer didn't have any problem joining JJ at the coroner's office or setting up shop in the conference room. He also didn't have any problem sliding himself in and out of SUV's with the help of crutches. "We practiced." He admitted. "Thanks."

"Sure." All she'd had to do was fold his chair, stick it in the back, and pull it out again. "Did you pick that one because it would fit in the back?"

"And it's lightweight, yeah."

"Don't those usually cost a fortune?"

"Jem has a friend, Stella, who bought it for us. She said she wanted to help."

"Oh. Nice of her."

"Yeah. The only problem is she keeps sending sweets. Don't ask Jem about his waistline."

JJ laughed. "Seriously?"

"He's worse than Morgan when it comes to fitness but he also tends to overeat when he's stressed. And she keeps sending pastry. He insists he's gained five pounds, not that you can see it."

"Well if you can't find them no one can." JJ teased. She was rewarded with her friend's blush.

Of course once they set up they had to deal with the looks from the local cops. "He's an FBI agent?" One of them finally asked her.

"Yeah. He was shot on a case, kneecapped by a gang out in LA. It's supposed to be temporary."

"And he's not on leave?"

"Multiple PhD's, IQ of 187, reads 20,000 words a minute. Yeah." She nodded as their eyes went wide. "Even injured Dr. Reid is immensely valuable to this team."

"But he can't go after the criminals." One of the officers insisted.

"There's more than one way to go after a criminal. For example Agent Rossi here is well past retirement age, but his decades of experience make him invaluable as well." She nodded as Dave joined the group by the pot.

"But what happens if you need to run someone down?" That young officer asked.

"We send out big and bigger." Dave nodded to Morgan and Jem who were just walking in.

The young officer looked at the two men and nodded. "Oh."

"What?" Morgan asked.

"Nothing." The young officer backed off.

"We're going to have to do that a lot, aren't we?" JJ asked, quietly.

"Yes." Dave said. "But we're right so we will."

"I cracked the code." Spencer said from the conference room.

They all turned and went back to work.

* * *

 **1881 North Nash Street  
Unit 2503  
Arlington, VA**

In the end they made it work. His first case back and they managed to make it work.

But not without some cost. Spencer slid into the steaming hot water in the bath and sighed. He still refused all narcotics, even though his joints ached. But a steaming hot bath eased every pain, at least long enough for him to get to sleep. And this bath was big enough to swim in.

"Knock knock." Jem said as he let himself into the bathroom. "How are you doing?"

"Much better." Spencer opened his eyes and accepted the mug of tea offered. "How are you doing?"

"What do you mean? Want company?"

Um, hello. "Yes please. And I mean knowing that I am able to go back to work."

Jem started disrobing, an event always worth watching. "Better. You've got your life back."

"So no more guilt?"

"Not as much anyway. Sit up." Spencer sat up and Jem slid behind him, carefully stretching his legs out on either side.

"If you feel guilty they win." Spencer sighed as he settled back against Jem's broad chest. Yes, he was very glad Jem was larger; he liked feeling like the smaller one, at least during those private moments. Speaking of. "That said, I don't have all of my life back."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean." It had been months...

Jem ws quiet for a long moment. "I been afraid I would break you somehow."

"You can't break me."

"After this week I think I've figured that out." Jem's hand slipped under the water.

Spencer sighed, and smiled.

* * *

 _To: SD (SF)  
From: JT_

 _You can stop with the cakes already you know. Not that I'm not grateful but I don't need them anymore._

 _..._

 _To: Jack  
From: Stella_

 _You sure? Wouldn't want my favorite cookie monster to expire from hunger._

 _..._

 _To: SD (SF)  
From: JT_

 _Yeah. We're good. Thank you. For everything._

 _..._

 _To: Jack  
From: Stella_

 _Anytime sweetie. Anytime._

 _..._

 _To: Jack  
From: Stella_

 _Told you you two are strong._


	31. Chapter 31

_**Part 3**_

 _You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life._

 _\- Winston Churchill_

 _As a general thing, when a woman wears the pants in a family, she has a good right to them._

 _-Josh Billings_

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **Chapter 31  
BAU Headquarters  
Quantico, VA**

"You're late." JJ teased.

Spencer chuckled. "Physical therapy appointment." Which was why everything ached at the moment. But it was the good kind of ache, he was keeping his muscles as strong as he could, the better to get them to work when he finally got his new knee.

"Ouch." JJ looked around after him. "Where's Jem? Parking?"

"Um, no. I caught a cab in." Okay, annoying, expensive and difficult to manage medical transport, but close enough. "Jem should have been in a couple of hours ago."

"Uh oh." JJ replied. She went to start gathering people.

In the meantime Spencer pulled out his phone.

* * *

...

 _To: SR (DC)_ _  
_ _From: JT_

 _Love, I am so sorry I have to do this. I know I promised I would never leave..._

...

* * *

Spencer's world went white, and he started falling.

It was a very long way down.

"Spence? What is it?" From a distance Spencer felt JJ take the phone from his hands. "Oh that son of a bitch."

"What happened?" Spencer dimly perceived the shape of Morgan coming over and looking over JJ's shoulder. "God damn it."

"Now what?" This time it was Rossi making his way over.

"Jem just Dear Johned Spencer." JJ showed him the phone. "He didn't show up for work today."

"Which is very unlike the Jem I've heard about." Rossi took the phone and looked it over. "This isn't a Dear John letter."

"Then what is it?" Morgan asked.

"Not sure yet. Try calling Jem from your phone. Garcia!" She was on the other side of the bullpen, and turned at Rossi's hail. "Get into all the security cameras around Jem's building that you can, start from...what time did you leave?" Rossi reached over and jostled Spencer. "What time did you leave this morning?"

"Um, 7:45." Wait, something important was going on.

"Start at 7:45 and move forward. I want to get eyes on him. Put it up in the conference room." In the meantime Rossi had been pulling out his phone and dialing. "Hey, Charlie, it's Rossi. I need the most recent intel you have on Luca Diamante and I need it right now. Don't make me go through channels, all right?"

"What's going on?" Hotch asked.

"Jem might be in trouble." JJ replied.

"He's not answering his phone." Morgan said.

"All right. Gather everything you have on Diamante, his immediate family, and get up here. We have a problem." Rossi hung up his phone. He did not look happy.

"What happened?" Hotch asked.

"Luca Diamante died at 2:18 this morning Pacific time." Rossi replied. He was dialing another number. "Hey Carol." He said. "It's Rossi Rossi. Look, it's an emergency. Tell him Luca Diamante died this morning and Jem is in the wind. I'll hold. Org Crime is heading this way for a briefing." Rossi said to Hotch."

"I found him!" Garcia stuck her head out from the conference room. "I found him! It's not good!"

They all started heading this way. Spencer didn't even object when Morgan pushed. "We're on his trail." Rossi said into his phone. "We're going to have a briefing in a few." Pause. "I know but we're out of options." Pause. "All right." Rossi hung up.

"What is it?" Hotch asked.

"The Director is coming down for the briefing." Rossi replied.

"Jesus." Morgan said. "What the hell is going on?"

Rossi didn't reply. Instead he looked over at Spencer. "Did Jem ever tell you about his family? Not the side from Samoa, the side from California?"

Spencer was completely lost. "Very little." He replied. "I know they were abusive."

"That's putting it mildly."

"And taking some of what's he's said and the work he's done into account I suspect they were involved in organized crime. But he no longer has any contact with them."

"Unfortunately I doubt that's the case." Rossi replied. "At least this won't come as too much of a shock."

"Wait. What are you saying?" JJ asked.

"Jem didn't leave Spencer this morning." Rossi replied. "He's running away to protect him."

"We can protect him." Morgan said. "Hell, we can protect both of them."

"Unfortunately he doesn't know our team as well as he knows this Unsub." Rossi replied. He looked over at the screen. "Garcia?"

In response Garcia played what she had found. Sure enough, about the time Spencer was sitting down with the physical therapist Jem walked out of his building. He had a backpack on, and looked to be dressed in a manner that would let him blend in anywhere. He looked around carefully and started quickly walking toward the Metro station.

"Damn it." Morgan said.

Jem almost made it. The station was only a block and a half away. But he had to pass by a building with an underground parking garage, and that's where they caught him. Two SUV's pulled out, boxing him in, and what looked like a small flock of men piled out. Now Jem was big and he was fast and he knew how to fight, but there was five on one. He didn't have a chance. Everyone watched as he was thrown into one of the cars and then both drove away.

"Another reprisal from his informant program?" Hotch asked.

Not Jem, Spencer thought. Not Jem. He's too kind, too loving. He doesn't know what it's like to face evil. He's never been there. It should have been me, I've handled it before. Not Jem, Not Jem, Not Jem...

"Worse." Rossi replied. "Family."


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32  
BAU Headquarters  
Quantico, VA**

Ten minutes later the conference room was packed. The Director, whom Spencer only knew as 'John' was there, along with what seemed like half of Org Crime but likely wasn't since that unit was so large. They were all quietly watching Jem be taken.

"And you think this has to do with Luca Diamante's death?" Donovan, Jem's old unit chief, asked.

"Yeah, I do. I think Johnny Diamante arranged it." Rossi replied. He held up Spencer's phone. "Someone gave Jem a heads up that it was coming. Anyone else he would have come in. But I think he's not acting rationally for this one because it's Johnny."

"Who is Johnny?" Morgan asked.

Donovan started the answer by putting a file up on the screen. "Luca Diamante. He took over the San Francisco branch of the Mafia in 1961 and ran it up until his death this morning. They're involved in the usual, racketeering, loan-sharking, extortion, prostitution, smuggling, bookmaking, bribery, narcotics, and gambling. Under his family's leadership they've taken over every major west coast port from the Mexico border north."

"Focus on his immediate family." The Director said.

"Okay." Donovan replied. "His wife, Gina, was a Genovese. She died in 1990, some kind of heart disease. He has three children. His eldest son, Giovanni aka Johnny, his middle child Estella aka Stella and his youngest son Giacomo, aka Jack."

"That's not the correct translation." Spencer said.

Donovan stopped. "Excuse me?"

"The correct translation of Giacomo into English is James, not Jack."

"Well, that's what they call him. Anyway, Johnny Diamante, 39, BA in Business Administration from San Francisco State, went straight into the family business, the old man's heir apparent, at least he was."

"What do you mean?"

"Wait one. The daughter, Stella, 34, BA, MBA, JD from Hastings college of Law, member of the Bar in California, her father's consigliore and legal counsel. Now in these old school families the title always passes to the son, right? After the old man died last night the lieutenants met and threw in behind Stella as the new head of family. They cut Johnny out completely, caught everyone by surprise."

"Likely including Johnny." Rossi said.

"Why?" JJ asked.

"Rumor has it he put a hit out on a Fed for personal reasons. And he paid a rival gang to do it for him. That's a big no-no in these families."

"What about the third kid?" Morgan asked.

"Jack. We know he's 32. Otherwise, we got nothing. He turned eighteen and dropped off the face of the earth."

"No he didn't." Rossi said. As they looked he passed a thumb drive to Garcia. As she started booting it up Rossi took over the presentation. "I was working in Org Crime back in the early 80's. About two years after Stella was born, for reasons we never figured out, Gina decided to leave her husband."

"And he let her do that?" Donovan asked.

"Of course not. But it took a couple of months before he found her. She was shacking up down in Santa Cruz with this young surfer. A big Samoan kid named Sam Tiamana."

It didn't take long for the light bulbs to start going on around the room. "Oh you have got to be kidding me." Morgan said.

Rossi shook his head. "Reid is right; the translation of Giacomo is James, not Jack." They turned as the fourth file opened on the board. "Giacomo "Jack" Diamante, aka James "Jem" Tiamana. 32, FBI Agent. Currently assigned to the BAU."

"I was in Org Crime back then as well." The Director said. "We tried to bust Luca Diamante for bribery back in the late 80's. Didn't stick, of course. Even we could tell that was not a healthy family. As the bust was going down we saw this kid in his early teens beating the crap out of this little boy, blaming him for all of it."

"Narcissistic Personality Disorder." Rossi said. "In the father, or in this case step-father, and in the son. Jem was the family scapegoat, made to take the blame for every negative emotion in the house. Likely from the father because his hands were tied. He was trapped n a loveless marriage in a culture that forbids divorce and he knew he wasn't Jem's father, but he couldn't admit it without admitting that his wife cuckolded him. And the son was likely jealous of the baby in the family."

"We took the little one out for ice cream, just to get him away from it." The Director said. "That kid soaked up even that little bit of attention like a sponge. I gave him my card, told him if it got really bad he should call me. I never thought that kid would come knocking on my door twelve years later."

"That's what his informant program has been about." Spencer said. "He's been trying to get other abused children out of organized crime families. Kids trapped like he was."

"And the first thing they want is revenge so they turn informant." Morgan nodded. "Slick."

"He would still be the scapegoat." Hotch said. "I'm surprised they left him alone this long."

"Thank his grandmother, Maria Diamante." The Director replied. "She adored him. She made her son promise her on her death bad that he wouldn't let any harm come to her grandson. Luca could never say no to his mother, so he had a standing order that no one from the family could touch Jem, or else."

"So Johnny went after the next best thing." Morgan nodded to Spencer.

"And now Luca's dead and Johnny is out of the family." JJ nodded. "He's taking it out on his scapegoat. But where would he take him?"

"The only person who would know is Stella Diamante." Donovan said. "But after that meeting early this morning she got in the wind as well. We don't know how to reach her."

"Wait." Spencer said. "Stella Diamante from San Francisco." He picked up Jem's phone from the table. "SD in SF."

"What are you doing?" Rossi asked.

"Jem has a friend named Stella." He replied. He found the number, set the phone to speaker, and dialed.

A phone rang outside the conference room.

They all turned to look at the woman standing there, flanked by two men with ID's from Homeland Security.

"Good morning gentlemen." Stella Diamante said.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33  
Somewhere in Washington, DC**

When they pulled the bag off Jem's head he was all but hanging by his wrists in a warehouse somewhere. He didn't recognize the men but he recognized the type, button men, trying to earn some trust and respect in the family. Someone like Johnny didn't usually dirty his hands working directly with this type. There were usually layers of ranks between them. But these weren't the usual times.

And then he saw the one man who could chill his heart. "Hey Johnny." Jem said to his brother.

"Hey Jackie." Johnny Diamante replied. "Long time no see."

"Yeah. Deliberately. I've been trying to stay out of your way."

Johnny laughed. "Now that I don't believe. I don't know how you did it, but you and Stella somehow turned the whole family against me."

Oh shit. "I don't even know who's in the family any more. I'm not even in Org Crime. I'm in the BAU. We go after the real sickos, like Manson."

"Which is, I will say, a respectable use of taxpayer money, one of the few things the FBI does right. But I don't believe that you didn't have something to do with what happened. Pop's dead. He can't protect you anymore. Get his clothes off, all of them." This Johnny said to the men around him.

"Johnny..." Jem tried not to think about the men going after his clothes with decent sized, very sharp knives. "I never thought I was your type."

Johnny actually laughed at that. "That's funny. No, see, I was going to go after you piece by piece. First that cocksucking boyfriend of yours, and then some of your FBI friends and whoever decided to try to help you. I wanted to make you miserable for every time you screwed up and caused me trouble. But thanks to you and Stella I'm low on resources so we're going to have to get direct. See, you have something I need right now."

"And what is that Johnny?"

"A way back in. Your old unit has been hiding snitch after snitch, bringing down organization after organization. I figure if I can bring in all of those troublemakers I'll get those families behind me and then I can deal with Stella and what you two have done to me. So what I need from you is, where are the snitches?"

Jem smiled as he steadied himself. "Go to hell, Johnny."

"I'm sure I will someday. But you're going first. And I am going to do you a solid before you go." Johnny turned and went to the corner, coming back with something that looked like a piece of medical equipment trailing a long extension cord. "I am going to make sure you don't embarrass our Mother when you see her there." He gestured to Jem's tattoo. "I want all that black crap burned out of his skin before we finish this. Of course, if you want to keep it," He looked up into Jem's face, with a smiled that reminded the younger man of every nightmare. Johnny was enjoying this. "just tell me where those informants are."

Jem took a deep breath as one of the men went over and turned the laser on.

* * *

 **BAU Headquarters  
Quantico, VA**

"Where did Johnny take Jem?" Rossi asked right off.

"I have no idea." Stella replied. "How fast can you run a trace?" She held up her phone.

"I can fly like the wind." Penelope replied. She leaned across the table and practically grabbed the phone from Stella's hand.

In the meantime Donovan looked over at her. "Do you have any idea what we could arrest you for, right now?"

"Uhhh." One of the Homeland agents spoke up. "Ms. Diamante has immunity."

"Says who?"

"I'll take care of this." The Director said. "Mind if I use your office, Dave?"

"Go right ahead." Rossi replied.

"Okay, ready." Penelope handed the phone back to Stella.

Stella smiled and dialed. "Hey Johnny." She said. "Cosa fai? Non avevo idea che sarebbe successo questa mattina . Sto lavorando per fare bene . Ho un incontro oggi con gli uomini . Siamo in grado di risolvere questo problema . Non si arrabbi , Johnny . Si otterrà ciò che si meritano . Hai solo bisogno di fidarsi di me . Ti ho offeso prima? Ti ho mai attraversato ? No certo che no. Capisco come è." She said as she wandered out the door to the catwalk.

"What are you doing?" Rossi translated quietly. "I had no idea that was going to happen this morning. I am working to make it right. I have a meeting now with the men. We can fix this. Do not be angry, Johnny. You will get what you deserve. You just need to trust me. Have I wronged you before? Have I ever crossed you? No, of course not. I understand how it is." They all watched her walk, quiet so as not to give anything away to the man on the other side of the line. "She didn't tell one lie in all of that. Not one, when you really think about it. She's smooth, that one. That's why I didn't catch her when I questioned her."

"You questioned her?" Morgan asked.

"After Reid was shot. I saw her coming out of the Federal Building, she'd been in a meeting with Homeland. I knew she had a connection to Jem and I wanted to be sure. Turns out I was wrong."

"Homeland." JJ said. "That could have been the source of our intel on the Black Dragons."

"But Zhang Hui didn't order the hit." Rossi reminded them. " _She_ pointed us at the Black Dragons and away from whoever her brother hired. That way she could go back to her father's capos and tell them that her brother went off the rails, but don't worry, she fixed it for them."

"One thing." Morgan said. "If this family is as messed up as you say they are I can't imagine Jem telling Stella about his lover."

"She saw us together." Spencer replied. "In Denver. She was Stan Halpert's lawyer."

"Okay, now there's no way she could have set that up." Morgan said.

"She knew Jem was working with Tony Franzelli's son." Spencer said. "She knew Jem was having trouble managing the situation there. Jem got a call from her the morning we went to Denver."

"So she found out that Halpert was being blackmailed, and suggested that Jem use that to get to Franzelli." Rossi nodded. "She didn't know it would dovetail with our case but she is not the kind to miss an opportunity. Likely one of her father's people already undercover also spotted Spencer and Jem together, and told Johnny, if she didn't herself, to speed things along."

"I am really not liking this woman." JJ said.

"But why though?" Morgan asked. "Johnny could have killed Reid, does she hate Jem that much?"

"Actually it was unlikely that he would have ordered me killed." Spencer replied. "His goal was to cause the maximum pain to his brother as possible. This," He gestured to the chair he was sitting in. "accomplishes that goal. Johnny would have wanted Jem to know that he put this in motion."

"And if Stella had proof of that it would have cemented her case with the capos." Rossi said. "I spotted security cameras in her office. A recorded conversation would have sealed that deal nicely. But that also means she knew how much damage Johnny would do to you, and she was willing to go there."

"Okay, I am really not liking this woman." Morgan said.

"Got an address!" Penelope said.

JJ and Morgan started moving out with the Org Crime team. "Don't worry kid." Morgan said. "We'll bring your boo home."

Spencer rolled out to them, out to the catwalk to watch them go. He trusted his team, his 'aiga, with his life. Now he had to trust them with Jem's. And he did, without the slightest hesitation. But it didn't make him want to be the hero any less.

"I wouldn't mind some help in there." Rossi gestured to the empty office where Stella had retreated. "See if we can find the missing holes in the story. But before we do that, what would be the most important thing Jem would want done, right now?"

Spencer only had to think for a heartbeat.

* * *

 _To: The 'aiga  
From : SR_

 _I know that Jem sent out a note that he was taking a break this morning. I know you've all been saying that something's not right. Here's what I can tell you all so far..._


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

 **BAU Headquarters  
Quantico, VA**

At last they were alone. Spencer and Rossi and Stella Diamante. "You know I am not saying one word on the record without my legal team present." Stella said as she looked over her shoulder at Rossi. "Nothing that comes out of my mouth in any way construes a confession."

"Of course not." Rossi replied. "I know how this game goes."

Stella smiled at him and went back to studying Spencer. "I can see what my brother likes in you." She said after a long moment. "It's the puppy eyes. He always had a thing for them."

"Why?" Spencer asked. They were supposed to manipulate the people they interview, verbally work them until they gave something up that revealed the deeper nature. But Stella was a chess player, in her own way, and Gideon always said to think out of the box. So Spencer did, and went straight to the heart of the matter. "Why did you tell Johnny about me? You knew it would hurt Jem."

Stella smiled. "You tell me, mister three PhD's."

Spencer thought about it a long moment. "You knew he would go after Jem piece by piece, to draw out the pain as long as possible. If he had become head of the family there's a good chance he would have gained access to your intelligence files." Spencer thought about it a moment more. "He would have gone after the 'Aiga. He would have gone after the kids."

Her smile confirmed it. "I've always heard that you FBI agents are sturdy." She said, "You bounce. You especially, puppy eyes."

"You put me in harm's way to protect Jem's kids." Okay, Spencer couldn't complain there. "But why me especially?"

Stella was quiet a long moment more. "You know what we had to do a few years ago? We had to train all our boys on how to recognize the symptoms of Anthrax. It takes a strong man to survive something like that, or so they tell me."

Okay, that was shocking. The number of people who know about the Nichols' case, who knew that Spencer Reid was one of the few people to survive a full blown case of genetically-enhanced Anthrax, was supposed to be extremely few. "You are very well informed." Rossi said.

"Given the work our company does we have to be." She replied.

"Your company?"

"Diamante Security. We provide on-site security at all of the container ports on the west coast."

"That's the other reason." Spencer said. He noticed the question on Rossi's face. "Cargo shipping, specifically container shipping, is one of the largest points of security vulnerability in the US. Over twenty million shipping containers move through the west coast ports every year. Almost anything can be smuggled in via container, then moved to the back of a semi and driven anywhere in the US. Homeland simply doesn't have enough agents to check every container."

"I do." Stella replied.

"Because you own the unions. That explains the deal with Homeland." Rossi said. "I assume Johnny wasn't interested in continuing your family's move to legitimacy."

"Johnny never liked the security business. It was too boring for him."

"What I don't understand is why not give Jem more of a warning that his step-father had died and Johnny was being shut out? He had to fly out here, which would have given Jem four hours warning at a minimum. He could have been half way across the Atlantic by now."

Spencer never knew how he suddenly knew things, only that sometimes his brain put them together for him. "Garcia." He said as he started maneuvering his chair to get out the door.

"What is it?" Rossi asked.

"There's no way Johnny would let his scapegoat go free while he went to prison." Spencer said. "His ego would never stand for that. He's going to try to kill him."

* * *

 **Somewhere in Washington, DC**

They finally got in through the last door. "Johnny Diamante!" The agent in the front of the pack called out. "FBI! Hands where we can see them!"

Morgan's world narrowed to his sights, and the sharply dressed man with the gun in his hand in front of him. But the gun was pointed at the ground, held lightly, not a threat to anyone. "Stella." Johnny said. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Put the gun down!"

Johnny chuckled. "I am not going to hell alone."

He raised the gun

And pointed at a figure hanging from a chain next to him

And the room erupted in gunfire.

Morgan watched as Johnny Diamante fell under the hail of bullets.

At that moment he did not care.

He turned his attention to the figure hanging there. As did JJ. As did Hotch. As did Donovan. As did most of the guys from Org Crime.

Hotch was able to move first. "Medic!"

* * *

 **BAU Headquarters  
** **Quantico, VA**

"So, you're gambling that the FBI can kill Johnny before Johnny kills Jem." Rossi said once Spencer had left the room. "Then you don't have to look over your shoulder for Johnny for the rest of your life, and you can go back to the capos with your hands clean. The FBI did it, but then Johnny was crazy for going after them. The matter is ended, let it die. Very nicely done."

"Assuming they kill him." Stella replied. "I just told you where to find him. I was doing my civic duty."

"Right."

"You forgot one thing."

"What's that?"

"When the guys from Org Crime see what Johnny does to Jackie they'll know he's loyal. They won't question it because anyone would turn from a family like that."

"Nice. All Jem has to do is survive."

"My brother is stronger than he looks. And he looks pretty damn strong these days."

"You forgot one thing." Dave said.

"What's that?"

"If this works you're going to have to bury a brother at the same time you bury your father."

Stella smiled at him. "You know, the full quote is 'The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb'." She said. She gestured to the room, building, maybe world around her. "I made my choice."

Rossi's eyes narrowed as he studied her. "That you're okay with Johnny's death says a lot." He said. "Are you going to be okay with how Jackie is going to react when he finds out that you put Spencer at risk?"

For the first time he saw true sorrow in her eyes. Not regret but sorrow. "You know what they say about omelets and eggs."

"Yes, I do."

* * *

 **Somewhere in Washington, DC**

Morgan leaned over the gurney as they started wheeling Jem to the ambulance. Every movement added to the agonizing pain, but Jem never cried out. "Didn't say anything." Jem managed to gasp out. "Tell Spencer. Kids are safe."

"Tell him yourself when you wake up." Morgan said. He watched them load Jem in. "Don't make it an 'if'."


	35. Chapter 35

**MedStar Washington Hospital Center  
Burn Unit**

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is sit and wait. Some men prove their strength by waiting.

Draped in a sterile gown, carefully gloved and masked, Spencer sat beside Jem's bed. The larger man was quiet. Too quiet. And even then Spencer knew it was not enough.

"I'm here." He said. "I'm safe. Your 'aiga is safe. Alex and I are looking after them. Even your family is safe. Just rest now love. You stood up to your worst monster and won. You don't need to prove anything anymore." He managed a smile through his tears. "Just don't leave, okay? Just don't leave."

* * *

"Is this what you expected?" Rossi asked.

Stella was watching her brother's care through the window to his room. She looked worn, pale. Rossi could finally see the terrified, sad little girl who had hidden behind the gloss of sophistication and the armor of competence for so long. "No." She admitted. "I thought Johnny would beat the shit out of him. I knew he wouldn't do it fair. I thought I was going to be paying dentist bills for months, maybe a plastic surgeon to put his face back together. I never expected this." She shook her head. "My whole life and that rat bastard can still surprise me with how cruel he can be."

"Was. How cruel he was." Rossi replied. "He's dead now."

"I know." She said. "I'll believe that someday."

* * *

"So what are they saying?" Hotch asked.

"Second degree burns." Donovan replied. "They said if he doesn't die from the shock or get an infection he'll heal clean in three to six weeks. That's not the problem."

"Then what is?"

"Apparently it's as painful as it gets. They said fifty-four percent of his body is covered. They've had to sedate him damn near down to a coma."

"He's strong. He'll make it." Hotch thought a moment. "Are you going to take him back? If not I'll make a place for him."

Donovan managed a smile. "Oh no. I have first claim. Someone who went through this kind of crap? No way they're loyal to the Families. But everything he learned growing up with them still in his head. No, he's mine. Tell HR you have an opening."

Hotch only nodded. But inwardly he smiled.

* * *

Morgan and JJ wandered to the waiting room. There they found Penelope and Alex with a small flock of crying college kids. "I couldn't keep them away." Alex said. "I warned them of the danger but they insisted they had to be here."

"Who are they?" Morgan asked.

"Jem's informants." Penelope said. "His family."

But they weren't the only ones. All of a sudden more sobbing erupted from the hallway. They turned to look only to see a young woman, all of eighteen, of Asian descent, running to throw herself into the arms of some of the other girls. Along with her was a large, older man with graying hair and the sort of seamed wrinkles that spoke of a life lived in the sun. And his face, he had such a familiar face. "FBI." He said, spotting the ID's they were wearing. "Maybe you can help. I'm looking for my Grandson."

"Of course." Alex smiled at him. "I'm Alex Blake. May I call you Tama?"

"I would be honored if you did."

* * *

Later that night a professionally dressed woman sat in a waiting room next to an old man. "You know." Stella said. "The last thing my mother ever said to me? She told me not to cry because she was going to go play in the ocean with Sam again." Anyone who knew her would be shocked to see tears welling in Stella Diamante's eyes. "I am so sorry for everything my family did to yours."

"What did they do?" Tama replied. "Your family gave me a wonderful grandson." He reached over and took her hand. "And a granddaughter too."

And now Stella started to cry.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

 **MedStar Washington Hospital Center  
Burn Unit**

Ten days later Jem rolled his head on his pillow. "I said I wouldn't leave you." He said.

Spencer looked up from his book, surprised. "Hey."

"Hey. Now get up." Jem said. "You're going to get bedsores on your ass if you sit there."

Now it was Spencer's turn for his eyes to well up as he smiled.

* * *

 _To: Jem  
From: Stella_

 _How did your boy's knee replacement go?_

 _..._

 _To: SD (SF)  
From: JT_

 _He's not my boy, he's my husband. It went great; he's already walking on it. And don't talk to me, I'm still mad at you._

 _..._

 _To: Jem  
From: Stella_

 _Husband, fine. Still mad? Why still mad?_

 _..._

 _To: SD (SF)  
From: JT_

 _You dragged Spencer into our family business. You put him through this. You didn't have to do that._

 _..._

 _To: Jem  
From: Stella_

 _Yes I did. You know I did. Now Johnny is dead, you're safe from both the family and your unit, the kids are safe, hell even the country is safer, you're getting more kids out and that husband of yours is healthy again. Why are you still mad?_

 _..._

 _To: SD (SF)  
From: JT_

 _I haven't fixed it all yet. When I do we'll talk. And since when do you call me Jem?_

 _..._

 _To: Jem  
From: Stella_

 _What the hell is left to fix? And isn't that the name Mama gave you?_

* * *

 **Private home  
Savai'I, Samoa**

 **One year later**

It still kind of shocked Spencer that he could walk. His knee hurt sometimes, would likely ache in cold weather, but it worked. He could walk again.

Dressed only in shorts and a t-shirt, barefoot, he crossed the well-worn wooden floor to the screened doors and then out to the porch. The porch looked out over the water and the harbor, an amazing view of the island.

It was paradise.

He smiled and nodded to the men who were setting up their tools on a tray on the floor. "You don't need to do this." He said.

"Yes I do." Jem stepped out behind him, clad only in a loose cloth draped about his hips. He nodded and spoke briefly to the men in Samoan.

God of the sea, Spencer thought. He resisted the urge to push Jem back into the bedroom. "You've already proven your endurance, twice."

"This isn't about that." Jem replied. He pulled off the cloth, set it down on the porch and stretched out on it.

Spencer couldn't help but admire the view. His husband was even more magnificent naked. But there was nothing but smooth, pale skin traced with the faintest of lines where the laser hadn't removed all of the ink. It didn't look like Jem at all. "I know. I was just trying to spare you." He sat on the floor in front of Jem as the men gathered around on both sides, talking quietly and contemplating the body stretched out in front of them as they wiped him down with disinfectant. "So what am I supposed to do here?"

"Distract me." Jem rested his head on his crossed arms and started calming his breathing. "Know any good stories? Any cases you haven't told me about?"

"A few." Spencer winced as the men made their first strike, a tool with a fine row of teeth biting into Jem's skin and leaving dark blue behind. Jem grunted a little but didn't say a word. "Did I ever tell you about the time..."

* * *

.

* * *

And that ends that. Many thanks to P, who kept me on track through this and to the wonderful REIDFANATIC who beta read the first half for me.


End file.
